South East
Enugu Workers Declares Strike Over N18,000 Minimum Wage
An Organised Labour has declared indefinite strike for workers in Enugu State over non-implementation of the new national minimum wage of N18,000.
Addressing the aggrieved workers Thursday at a rally at the Freedom Square, Enugu state secretariat, the national President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdul-Waheed Umar, explained that the strike would involve the private sector, including aviation, banks, Road Transport Workers, among others.
Maintaining that the strike would cripple the entire economy of Enugu state, comrade Umar stated that the industrial action which took effect from Thursday September 8, 2011 was triggered off by the inability of the state government to implement the new national minimum wage within the 14- day ultimatum given to it by the organised labour.
He, therefore, made it clear to the Enugu state government, as well as other state governments across the country that payment of the new minimum wage is not a privilege, but the right of workers in Nigeria generally.
Governor Chime, he further said, was not forthcoming to dialogue with the organised labour on how the new minimum wage would be implemented in the over all interest of workers in the state.
His words: “Governor Chime has not responded in any way. Therefore, we are declaring indefinite strike action to press home workers’ demand for the implementation of the new minimum wage by the state government”.
Enugu state, he went on, was viewed by the organised labour as a test case, adding that it would spill over to other states in the South East zone if governor Chime fails to implement to the letter the new national minimum wage.
The NLC President, however, called for peace between workers and labour leaders in the state for the strike to succeed in the state, also using the forum to appeal to all residents of the state to bear with labour over the indefinite strike as banks, aviation and other offices would be under lock and key throughout the period of the strike.