By Okeke Eunice
The Niger State branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress has firmly demanded the full implementation of the new minimum wage for October’s salary.
The union expressed willingness to accept a delayed salary, provided the government approves the new wage.
Chairman Idrees Lafene shared this with reporters on Sunday, noting that the state NLC had officially communicated their stance to the government.
He emphasized that the union would not settle for anything below the new minimum wage for October.
On July 29, 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the new N70,000 minimum wage into law after prolonged negotiations with labor unions.
Since the signing, state governors have begun approving the new wage for workers in their regions.
Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers approved N85,000, Ogun State’s Dapo Abiodun approved N77,000, Delta State’s Sheriff Oborevwori approved N77,500, and Kwara State’s AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq approved N70,000, among others.
Lafene expressed optimism that Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, would follow the example set by other governors. He noted that the union leadership plans to meet with the government on Monday to resolve outstanding issues.
“We have already informed the Niger State government that we are prepared to accept a delayed October salary if the new minimum wage is implemented. We won’t accept anything less than the minimum wage for October.”
He emphasized that they hope the state will soon implement the new wage. The union has been in discussions with the government and plans another meeting on Monday to address unresolved matters.
Lafene added that the state’s labor union would be satisfied with the N70,000 approved by the Federal Government if the state can’t afford a higher amount.
“We met with Governor Bago before his trip, and he assured us that implementation at the state level is not an issue. The concern lies with the Local Government level, where salaries are nearly four times higher than those of the state government.”
He highlighted that local government staffing is almost six times larger than that of the state government, especially with local government autonomy starting this month.
Lafene urged civil servants to remain patient and pray for the union’s success in achieving their goal.