NLC Strike Faces Major Setback As State Chapters Pull Out

NLC Strike Faces Major Setback As State Chapters Pull OutThe planned December 1 strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is facing significant challenges as several state chapters have announced their withdrawal from the proposed industrial action. The strike was initially planned to protest delays in the implementation of the new N70,000 minimum wage approved by President Bola Tinubu in July.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Although some states, including Lagos and Rivers, have already begun paying above the approved wage, offering N85,000, 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have yet to adopt the new pay structure. These states include:

•Abia

•Akwa Ibom

•Ebonyi

•Ekiti

•Imo

•Nasarawa

•Kaduna

•Katsina

•Oyo

•Sokoto

•Yobe

•Zamfara

•Enugu

•FCT

With less than 24 hours to go before the strike, several state NLC chapters have withdrawn their support, raising doubts about the feasibility of the action.

President Tinubu had approved the new minimum wage in July to ease the financial burden on workers amid rising inflation, with plans to review it every three years. While some states swiftly implemented the policy, others have cited financial constraints as an obstacle to adoption.

In Imo State, the NLC chairman, Uche Chigaemezu, confirmed on Saturday that there were no plans for a strike. In an interview with Punch, Chigaemezu explained, “We cannot think of embarking on any strike because we have reached an agreement with the state government led by Governor Hope Uzodimma. He has shown commitment to the payment of the N70,000 minimum wage to Imo workers. We have communicated our position to the national body, and they are aware of the decision to implement the new wage soon.”

A civil servant in the state also confirmed that there was no strike planned.

Similarly, in Sokoto State, the NLC announced it would not join the national strike after Governor Ahmed Aliyu approved the N70,000 minimum wage for state workers. While presenting the 2025 appropriation bill to the state House of Assembly, Aliyu revealed that the wage would take effect from January 2025. The state’s NLC secretary stated that the union had formally withdrawn from the strike after signing a memorandum of understanding with the state government on the implementation of the new minimum wage.

In Oyo State, both the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) distanced themselves from the strike. In interviews with Punch in Ibadan, the state NLC chairman, Kayode Martins, and TUC chairman, Bosun Olabiyi, confirmed that their unions would not participate. Martins stated, “We have liaised with the national secretariat and let them know where we stand. We already have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for the conclusion of everything. We have a good rapport with the government.” Olabiyi added, “We are dissociating ourselves totally from the strike in the state. We have an understanding with the state government, and everything is fine here.”

In Katsina State, NLC chairman Hussaini Danduna also confirmed that workers in the state would not participate in the December 1 strike. Danduna explained, “We have signed an agreement with the Katsina State Government, and based on this, we will not join the strike action declared by the national executive council of our union.” The state’s TUC chairman, Mukhtar Abdu-Ruma, echoed this, stating that workers would not participate due to an agreement with the state government on the implementation of the new minimum wage in December, alongside necessary adjustments.

With several state chapters opting out of the planned strike, the effectiveness of the national protest now hangs in the balance.

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