Breaking News! NLC Declares 7-Days Warning Strike



The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced a one-week industrial strike starting from 00:00 hours on December 1, 2024 in Ebonyi State. The strike is in response to the Ebonyi State Government’s failure to implement the New National Minimum Wage for civil servants. Comrade Oguguo Egwu, the State Chairman of the NLC, explained that the action was in line with the directive issued by the National body on November 8, 2024, for states that had not yet complied with the minimum wage implementation process based on collective bargaining.


The issue began on October 2, 2024, when the Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, inaugurated a Minimum Wage Implementation Committee. However, as the committee was finalizing its report, the Governor unilaterally announced a wage award of NGN75,000 for Grade levels 1 and 2, and NGN40,000 across the board for Grade levels 3-16 during a church service at the Government House Chapel on October 27, 2024. This decision was controversial as it did not follow the proper procedures for implementing a minimum wage, which typically involves thorough consultation, collective bargaining, and the signing of agreements between the government and labor unions.


Comrade Egwu emphasized that the announcement made by the Governor was not the result of any collective bargaining process, and the wage structure imposed on workers lacked the necessary adjustments that would ensure a fair and sustainable pay scale. He further criticized the Governor's wage award for failing to address the consequential adjustments required to align with the new national minimum wage of NGN30,000, which Ebonyi State had yet to implement.


The NLC pointed out that the lack of proper adjustments to the salary chart had resulted in workers receiving inadequate pay, which does not reflect the cost of living or economic realities. Despite repeated efforts by the Minimum Wage Implementation Committee to discuss these issues with the Governor, no positive resolution has been reached. The union also noted that workers were being charged NGN2,100 for a staff audit exercise, which had not been agreed upon by the labor force, adding to the dissatisfaction among employees.


Further complicating matters, workers at the local government councils had not received their October 2024 salaries, and teachers were facing problems with their pay due to confusion over bank channels, resulting in issues with statutory deductions. These ongoing issues, including delayed salaries and improper wage implementation, led to the union’s decision to initiate the strike.


On November 27, 2024, the union made a final appeal to the Governor to reconsider his stance and engage in meaningful dialogue with the implementation committee. However, the Governor’s refusal to address these concerns prompted the NLC to declare the strike, demanding that the government reconsider its position on the minimum wage and engage in the necessary consultations for a fair and equitable resolution. The union has stated that the strike will continue until the government takes appropriate action on the matter.


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