Minimum wage: NLC declares indefinite strike

Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has announced an indefinite strike in 14 states starting Monday, December 2nd.

This action is a response to the non-implementation of the new national minimum wage of ₦70,000, which was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in July.

The law, which raised the minimum wage from ₦30,000, followed extensive negotiations involving the government, organized labour, and private sector stakeholders.

Despite the agreement being in effect for nearly six months, 14 states, including Enugu, Oyo, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory, have yet to comply, leaving workers on the previous wage structure.

The NLC leadership, in its directive, urged state councils in the affected areas to initiate the strike to demand immediate compliance.

Workers in these states will remain off duty until their demands are met, according to the union’s stance.

This development follows prior warnings issued in November by the NLC, emphasizing a nationwide push to enforce the new wage standard across all states.

The 14 states where workers are directed to embark on an indefinite strike include:

1. Abia

2. Akwa Ibom

3. Ebonyi

4. Ekiti

5. Enugu

6. Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

7. Imo

8. Nasarawa

9. Kaduna

10. Katsina

11. Oyo

12. Sokoto

13. Yobe

14. Zamfara