The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced an indefinite strike action starting December 1, 2024, in states failing to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage. The directive comes as NLC condemns perceived “anti-people policies” that are driving Nigerians into poverty and hardship.
In a statement issued after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed frustration over the failure of some state governments to comply with the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act, describing it as a “betrayal of legality and morality.”
The communiqué from the NEC read, “The persistent refusal by certain governors to implement the minimum wage law is a blatant disregard for the rights of Nigerian workers, who are already struggling with worsening economic conditions.” Ajaero emphasized that the NLC will not tolerate the ongoing exploitation of workers, especially amidst rising inflation and economic hardship.
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To address this, the NEC has established a National Minimum Wage Implementation Committee tasked with assessing and mobilizing workers to resist non-compliant states. “All state councils where the minimum wage has not been fully implemented by November 30, 2024, are directed to begin an indefinite strike on December 1,” the communiqué stated.
The NLC also took aim at federal policies contributing to the nation’s economic crisis, criticizing unchecked inflation and skyrocketing prices of basic needs. “Millions of Nigerians are facing destitution, with many forced to choose between food and healthcare,” the NEC noted. The NLC highlighted the resurgence of nutritional diseases such as Kwashiorkor and Marasmus, which they attribute to the declining affordability of food and basic amenities.
The NEC also raised concerns over threats to democracy and workers’ rights in Nigeria, citing an increase in arrests, detentions, and suppression of dissent. “There is an alarming erosion of democratic norms, and Nigerians’ right to freely associate and organize is under attack,” the NEC warned.
