Lagos, Nigeria - The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) will next week begin a three-day warning strike over the non-payment of the 18,000 naira (US$ 120) minimum wage. The labour movement said that the strike, which starts Wednesday, followed the failure of the Federal Government and the other tiers of government to show any sense of urgency in spearheading the payment of the new wage. President of the NLC, Abdulwahed Omar, told journalists in Abuja Tuesday that organized Labour was being forced to use its most potent armour to ensure the speedy implementation of the minimum wage law. According to Omar, “given the non-implementation of the Minimum Wage by the Federal, States and Local Governments, as well as the private sector, the Labour movement is left with no alternative than to defend the Minimum Wage Law, the interest of working people and the fundamental human right of the Nigerian populace to live above poverty line.

'We also have the historical duty to hold government accountable to the people and ensure that governments at all levels obey the laws of the land.

'As a result, the labour movement calls a three-day general strike across the country with effect from Wednesday, 20 July to Friday, 22 July, 2011.

'The general strike will be against the Federal, State and Local governments as well as the private sector.”

The NLC also rejected the current circular by the Nigerian government that indicated that only workers on grade levels one to six could benefit from the minimum wage, arguing that the wage increment should have a general applicability, irrespective of the grade.

Omar added: “even the Federal Government has also fallen foul of the minimum wage law. The attempted decision by the Federal Government to make the new minimum national wage implementation applicable only to workers on Grades 01 to 06 in the Federal Service, is not acceptable to us.

'We observe that the national minimum wage has national applicability and affect all workers irrespective of sector or grade level. Therefore, both the payment table and the implementation circular presented by the Federal Government are rejected by the Congress.

“Although many State governments have promised to pay, there is no negotiated payment table on which the minimum wage is based. Unfortunately, State governors are allowing their colleagues to hold them to ransom on the implementation of the new national minimum wage.”

Pana 13/07/2011