A Communique Issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress at the end of One Day Stakeholders’ Meeting on the Implementation of the New National Minimum Wage at the State Level held at Top Rank Hotel, Abuja on December 11, 2019
Preamble
The One day Stakeholders’ meeting on the Implementation of the new National Minimum Wage of N30,000 and the consequential adjustment in salaries had in attendance the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, all the State Chairpersons of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Chairpersons of Joint Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side) from states, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Heads of Service of States and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Considerations
After very exhaustive deliberations on the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage in both states and local governments across the country, the meeting considered as follows;
a. Appreciated the efforts of all the State Heads of Service in attendance at the meeting or those who sent representatives and particularly the commitment of the Minister of Labour and Employment and the ILO for being in attendance;
b. Took note of the report from all the states and from the report distilled three categories of scenarios on the implementation of the new national minimum wage and consequential adjustment of salaries which all the states fell. These categories are as follows;
i. States which have commenced the implementation and payment of the new national minimum wage. These states include Kaduna, Kebbi, Lagos, Adamawa and Jigawa States (Jigawa had concluded negotiations but is yet to make its first payment to workers);
ii. States which have constituted a Negotiating Committee between their State Government and Labour on the consequential adjustment in salaries following the new national minimum wage. These states include Borno, Abia, Kano, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Niger, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Katsina and Zamfara States;
iii. States which have not put in place a Negotiating Committee between the State Government and Labour on the consequential adjustment of salaries. The States include Bauchi, Yobe, Rivers, Benue, Gombe, Kwara, Imo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, Anambra, Taraba, Cross River, Ogun, Enugu, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi and Delta States.
Resolutions
After very robust consideration of the foregoing scenarios, the meeting resolved as follows:
- Commended the Federal Government and the States which have already commenced the implementation and payment of the new national minimum wage arising from negotiations with organized labour. The meeting also appreciated and applauded directives by the Federal Government to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to pay minimum wage arrears by 31st December, 2019;
- Decided that Organized Labour in the states comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side) would work in harmony to ensure that all workers enjoy the full benefit of the new National Minimum Wage;
- Each State should immediately convoke an emergency State Executive Council meeting and State Congress of all workers to brief them of the outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting on the new national minimum wage implementation;
- States that are still on the discussion table (Category 2) should expedite discussions to conclude the negotiations on or before the 31st of December 2019;
- States which have not commenced discussion should quickly constitute a Negotiating Committee and expeditiously conclude discussions on salary adjustment consequent on the new national minimum wage on or before 31st December, 2019; and
- In the event that any state fails to comply with these resolutions on or before 31st December, 2019, organized labour would not guarantee industrial harmony in such states.
Comrade Ayuba Wabba, mni
President
Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, Esq
NLC General Secretary, NLC
Comrade Abdulrafiu A. Adeniji
National Chairperson
Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side)