New Minimum Wage: Cross River government, NLC, TUC meeting deadlocked; Strike imminent Wednesday

The on-going negotiation between Cross River State government, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over new minimum wage payment seems to have broken down as labour leaders walked out from the meeting alleging insincerity on the part of government.

Recall that a group named Government Joint Public Service Negotiating and Implementing Committee on new minimum wage had been formed chaired by the State Head of Service, Dr Innocent Eteng and having the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other labour interests as representatives.

Source close to the meeting held on Monday, November 18, 2024 at Head of Service Office (HoS) at the Secretariat confided in The Beagle News that labour leaders staged a walk out over what they described as delay tactics on the part of government representatives on the committee.

The labour leaders alleged that at the first meeting held last week, there was no headway as attempt  were made by government to postpone the meeting till January but they opposed it resulting in the Monday and nothing was tabled upon which to start negotiation.

The Labour Unions, therefore, say they will not guarantee industrial harmony from today, Wednesday if the government failed to concretise plans to implement the new national minimum wage of N70,000.

Speaking to The Beagle News shortly after they staged a walk out on Monday, the chairman of the TUC in Cross River, Mr Monday Ogbodum said that the government appeared uncommitted to the implementation of the new minimum wage.

Ogbodum noted that it was labour position that had earlier forced the government to set up the committee. According to him, “from the look of things, this same committee seems not ready for anything. We have heard from grapevine that the government is not looking at commencing implementation until January 2025.

“We have a directive from our national leadership that the implementation of the new wage should commence from October.

Expressing worry over the foot-dragging of Governor Otu on the matter whom they said was a member of the committee that gave birth to the new wage said: “He was South South representative in that committee and he is the one lagging behind while other states have already made pronouncement on this new wage to the workers.

“Before now, he has assured us that he implement whatever that is agreed upon. As we speak, there is Joint seriousness that the government is ready for the workers.”

Also speaking, the NLC chairman in the state, Mr Gregory Olayi, said that labour staged a walkout because the government representative in the committee appeared not serious.

“Besides, the fact that the government had not put anything on the table, the government representatives seems not to be acting on the mandate of the governor.

“In our last meeting on Thursday, they formed a technical committee which we had expected will come with something for us to discuss with.

“They came empty and unprepared from the look of things and we had to stage a walkout until they are prepared for us,” he said.

And continuing, Olayi said: “The labour is meeting with all its organs in Cross River on Tuesday and whatever decision of the organs will be followed. We had them (Government) a 7-day ultimatum on Thursday last week which expires Monday midnight.

“We will be meeting with all the organs and whatever decision taken, we will all see to it after the meeting on Tuesday.”

By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)