The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has issued a 21-day ultimatum state
governors to commence the implementation of the new minimum wage or be ready
to take responsibility for the consequences.

The Congress however advised all state governments who had not complied with
the implementation and immediate payment of the N30, 000.00 new National
Minimum Wage to commence negotiations and implementation on or before 31st
January, 2020, otherwise the State Government should be responsible for the
consequences of their failure.

It stated that state councils had been directed to commence the mobilisation of
their members immediately.

LEADERSHIP Friday recalls that the second labour centre in the country, the Nigeria
Labour Congress (NLC), had given a December 31,2019 deadline to the governors
and had started mobilizing workers for what it described as a “showdown” with
governors who fail to implement the new wage.

The TUC, in a
communiqué at the
end of the just
concluded National
Executive Council
(NEC), said the
governors had three
weeks to pay the
new wages or risk
another Labour
dispute.

The communiqué
signed by TUC
president, Comrade
Quadri A. Olaleye,
and secretary
general, Comrade Musa Lawal, also expressed concern at the security challenges
confronting the country.

The Congress urged the federal government to intensify practical efforts towards
wiping out killings, kidnapping and insurgency to save the country from total
collapse.

The communiqué said NEC-in-session resolved to participate in a global rally
against war slated for January 25, 2020, in view of the vulnerability of workers in
war periods.

It reads partly, “NEC in session condemns all forms of casualization and slave
labour in Nigeria. The Congress will in the year therefore engage any employer that
violates the rights of Nigerian workers to unionize and have permanent
employment. The government is hereby advised to extend Local Content Policy as
applied in the oll sector to be applicable to other sectors of the economy.

“NEC-in session appreciates the need to review the Nigeria Labour Laws to suit the
present day realities in the world of work but warns against attempt from any
quarter to remove labour issues from exclusive-legislative list.”

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