By Daniel Yaro
Following the ultimatum by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to state governments giving them up on till December 31, 2019, to seal all negotiations on the new minimum wage with a view to commencing payment immediately, majority of the state governments are in in fear over their ability to meet the deadline.
The President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, had issued the ultimatum recently at the end of a one-day meeting involving all stakeholders on the Implementation of the new national minimum wage, which was convened to give participants opportunities to assess the resultant effect on the implementation of the new minimum wage and make the necessary adjustments.
However, just days after the crucial meeting was held, only five states of the thirty-six states have expressed willingness to comply with the new salary structure, while others are in different stages of readiness.
The five states which have begun implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage are: Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Adamawa and Jigawa. Although Jigawa state has concluded negotiations with the workers on their minimum wage, the NLC said it is yet to make its first payment to workers.
On the other hand, 13 states have constituted negotiating committees to engage Labour on the consequential adjustment in salaries following the new national minimum wage. These include Borno, Abia, Kano, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Niger, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Katsina and Zamfara states.
However about nineteen states, apparently still in quagmire, over the implementation, are yet to set up a negotiating committee with labour, NLC revealed. The states include Bauchi, Yobe, Rivers, Benue, Gombe, Kwara, Imo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, Anambra, Taraba, Cross River, Ogun, Enugu, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi and Delta states.
The federal government was among the first to begin payment of the minimum wage. Other departments and agencies of government are expected to follow suit immediately.