The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given state governments an ultimatum to fully implement the new minimum wage by December 1, 2024, or face an indefinite strike.
In a statement released after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, the NLC criticized the slow pace of the wage increase across the country and accused fuel marketers of inflating petrol prices, a move which many have claimed to worsen the hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians.
The NLC highlighted the growing economic difficulties in the country, which it believes are worsened by government policies pushing many Nigerians into deeper poverty and hunger. As part of its ongoing efforts to press for better conditions, the NLC vowed to escalate actions, including strike action in states that have not implemented the new wage.
In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu approved an increase in the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000. While over 20 states had pledged to adopt the new wage by early November, others have yet to comply. The NLC has expressed frustration with the delay and has called for a nationwide mobilisation to demand that the new wage be implemented.
The NLC also raised concerns about the pricing of fuel, accusing marketers of manipulating prices and reaping excessive profits at the expense of Nigerians and called for the resumption of domestic refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna as a long-term solution to the fuel crisis.
The union’s leadership reiterated its commitment to pursuing justice for Nigerian workers and warned that protests and strikes would continue until the minimum wage issue was fully addressed across the country.
Philips Babatunde