…as NLC threatens to shut down Abia, if State refuses to pay ₦30,000 minimum wage and ₦35,000 wage award approved by FG in 2023
Abia State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Monday, June 2, 2024, embarked on an infinite strike, as directed by the national body of the NLC, led by Joe Ajero.
Ogbonnaya Okoro, chairman, of the Abia State chapter of NLC, who led other members, Monday morning to enforce the exercise in Umuahia, the State capital, declared that Labour will not back down until their demands are met, by the Federal Government, despite pressures from the court and the police to stop them from embarking on the strike.
He said that the organised Labour movement in Nigeria, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), would not be stampeded, by the Federal Government, through the courts and the police from demanding their rights, as citizens of Nigeria.
According to him, we are ready to go to jail, if they think that is the best way to stop our agitation. However, they should create enough space to contain all of us.
“We are not backing down from the indefinite strike, so if there is any cell we are ready. The senators will sit under 3 hours and collect millions of Naira, as sitting allowance.
“The last time, the Senate President was caught on air approving weekend allowance for senators, however when he realised he was on air, he changed it to prayer. Who is fooling who?
“They’ll take more than ₦3 million every week and at the end of the month, they had collected more than ₦20 million and we are here dragging ₦496,000 for the entire month.
For instance, a few years ago, the pump price of petrol was about ₦95, now it is ₦840 per litre.
A bag of rice that was ₦7,500 two years ago, is now ₦80,000 to ₦100,000, depending on the type of rice you are buying.
“The Naira that was exchanged for ₦250 to 1 dollar, a few years ago, is now ₦1,400 to $1 and they are claiming that increasing ₦30,000 minimum wage to ₦50,000 that cannot even buy a bag of rice is enough, while they are carting away trillions of Naira.
“Our leaders don’t consider the welfare of workers and masses in Nigeria and they’re saying that they want to jail us for demanding our rights. Let them jail all of us, we are ready to go to jail, but let them make enough space that will contain all of us.
“We are ready to be jailed. We are not going back on this strike. The NLC and TUC have said that until the Government listens to us, we are not going to call off the strike and that is our position.
Meanwhile, the Abia State chapter of the NLC says it has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the State Government to implement the ₦30,000 minimum wage and ₦35,000 wage award approved by the Federal Government in November 2023.
Ogbonnaya, while confirming the development said that they are following due process.
According to him, we are going to issue an additional 7-day ultimatum after the expiration of the 14 days, and if the State Government refuses to comply with our demands, we would embark on an indefinite strike, which would commence after the national strike.