BY TAIWO FAROTIMI
The Nigeria Labour Congress, umbrella body for workers in the country has asked its members to stay out of work throughout the country effective from Thursday (today). The industrial action is a protest against the reluctance of the federal government to make do its word to start implementing a new minimum wage by the third quarter of this year.
Mr. Ayuba Wabba, president of the NLC said workers are angry over the failure of the federal government to reconvene the tripartite committee put in place to discuss the matter.
Workers are asking for N50,000 minimum wage. The organized Labour had argued that the review of the current N18,000 minimum wage was long overdue. The federal government, through Dr. Chris Ngige, its minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, had said the implementation of the new minimum wage will take effect from the third quarter of the year now drawing to a close. Mr. Ayuba said on Wednesday that the strike is until “further notice”.