The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Zamfara have given the state government a 14-day ultimatum to address irregularities in the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage.
The ultimatum was issued during a news conference in Gusau on Wednesday after an emergency meeting held by the labour unions.
The State NLC Chairman, Alhaji Sani Halliru, described the discrepancies in the March salary payments as unfortunate.
“It is necessary to call this news conference because we are disappointed with the state government’s attitude towards the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage,” Halliru said.
He explained that the state government had earlier formed a committee to oversee the implementation of the new wage structure and had promised to implement it in March. However, according to Halliru, when the March salaries were paid, the minimum wage was not fully implemented.
“Some workers received an increase of only N3,000, some N4,000, some N5,000 or N7,000 to their salaries. We also noticed that some workers were unconstitutionally removed from the payroll. We are not happy with this situation. The labour unions in the state consider this action as a breach of trust from the state government to the labour leaders,” he said.
Halliru warned that if the issues were not resolved within two weeks, the unions would take further action.
Backstory
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved a new minimum wage of N70,000 for Nigerian workers, with a pledge to review the national minimum wage law every three years.
- The new minimum wage was necessitated by the severe cost of living crisis witnessed by Nigerians following the removal of the petrol subsidy and devaluation of the Naira.
- President Tinubu had promised that ongoing reforms in the energy and foreign exchange sectors were necessary to prevent an economic collapse and that future generations would benefit from the changes.
Several states have already implemented the N70,000 minimum wage, including Lagos, Edo, and Akwa Ibom, while others are in the process of adoption. However, Zamfara remains one of the states yet to fully comply with the directive.
Labour unions express disappointment
The State TUC Chairman, Sa’idu Mudi, also criticized the state government for failing to fully implement the new wage structure, stating that Zamfara remains the only state in Nigeria yet to comply.
“The entire organised labour leaders and entire workers in the state are disappointed with the state government. We are also disappointed with the state government’s technical committee for the implementation of N70,000 minimum wage,” Mudi said.
He alleged that certain individuals within the government were deliberately sabotaging the implementation process and called on Governor Dauda Lawal to intervene by setting up an investigative committee.
