Labour gives Obiano’s 14-day ultimatum to implement new minimum wage

The Anambra State workers on Monday rejected the state government minimum wage implementation and gave 14 days ultimatum to implement the agreed template of 30,000 or face industrial action.

In a communique issued​ at the end of the state executive council meeting of the organised Labour on the implementation of the new minimum wage and it’s consequential adjustment by the Anambra State chapter held at labour house Awka, the workers expressed​ dissatisfaction over the​ non-implementation of the agreement reached between the labour​ and state government.

The communique was jointly signed by the​ Joint​ Negotiations Council (JNC) chairman, comrade Benson Jibike; chairman of Anambra State chapter of Nigerian union labour NLC, comrade Jerry​ Nnubia; the state chairman of Trade Union Congress TUC, comrade Ifeanyi​ Okechukwu; Acting Secretary of​ JNC/secretary of Anambra State Civil service of Nigeria ASCSN Barr. Alex Ebi, and secretary of Nigerian Union Local Government Employees (NULGE), comrade Netufo Segun.

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They said that organised labour was not happy with the government implementations of the minimum wage, especially the non-issuance of circular on the agreed new salary chart before payment of the January 2020 as agreed between the government and organised labour.

The organised labour disturbed by the government action, gave the state government 14 days ultimatum with effect from Tuesday 4th of February to implement the agreement reached or risk industrial action.

The communique further said that they may not guarantee industrial peace existing in the state.

The chairman of JNC said that they noticed some pitfall in the agreement they had with the government.

While the chairman of state NLC, stated that they did not believe that the government had paid them, rather what they did was just like bonuses to workers.

“Before any salary adjustment, there must be circular and we did not see any. They just added two and five thousand naira on the salary, without telling us how they came about it,” he stated.