Minimum Wage: Organised Labour insists on strike despite court ruling

The Organised Labour has insisted on embarking on a nationwide strike over the non-implementation of N30, 000 as the new National Minimum Wage, in spite of the National Industrial Court ruling in Abuja.

Mr Ayuba Wabba, President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja has restrained the organised labour from proceeding on nationwide strike.

The nationwide strike by organised labour is scheduled to commence on Nov. 6 over the new National Minimum Wage for workers in the country.

According to Wabba, we are not aware of any court ruling and we have not been served any notice.

“We have just concluded our joint organ meetings of the Central Working Committees of the Labour Centres of the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the United Labour Congress (ULC) here in Lagos.

“The meeting is the final preparation for a full engagement with the government on the new National Minimum Wage and we have taken our decision to go on the strike.

“Our decision is to go ahead with the nationwide strike unless the government does the needful,” he said.

Also, Mr Musa Lawal, TUC General Secretary, also told NAN that the centre was not aware of any court ruling concerning the planned strike by organised labour.

“We are not aware because we have not been served any court order; we have taken our decision and we are going to stand by that,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) had issued a communique after its meeting claiming that state governors can only pay N22, 500, as the new national minimum wage.

The organised labour has reiterated its position that any figure below N30, 000 would not be acceptable to labour.

Labour had earlier called on its members to mobilise in preparation for the commencement of an indefinite strike on Nov. 6, unless necessary steps are taken to adopt the recommendation of the Tripartite Committee.