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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to invoke relevant sanctions against states that fail to comply with the new minimum wage of N30,000 for workers.
The vice president, Issa Aremu, said in Owerri, Imo State, that the states have no reason not to implement the new salary structure.
According to him, since the act of parliament became effective from April, all states are expected to have commenced the implementation.
“The states have no choice but to implement the N30,000 minimum wage. Also, no employer of labour, whether state government, federal or private employer, has the right not to implement what has been legally announced as the new minimum wage for workers.
“It is an act of parliament. In fact, it is a crime not to implement it. There are sanctions within the act for non-compliance. So, a good employer will immediately implement it and pay the arrears. As far as we are concerned as organised Labour, we will see to the implementation,” he said.
Imo NLC chairman, Austin Chilakpu, said the union was waiting for directives from the national body to compel the state to pay the new wage.
He, however, expressed hope that the Emeka Ihedioha-led government would not hesitate to comply, having assured the workers of his readiness to address issues of salaries and pensions as well as guarantee their welfare.
Meanwhile, Governor Ihedioha has announced that his administration would revert to 100 per cent salary payment for workers, and would soon commence payment of pensions in the state as well.
The governor said, “We have started the process of paying our pensioners. In the next few weeks, Imo pensioners will hear from us.”
Immediate past governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha, who is now in the Senate, had slashed workers’ salaries by half and asked them to work for three days a week, instead of five.
He advised them to use the other two days for farming.