Labour gives Nasarawa three-week ultimatum on N70,000 wage

Organised labour in Nasarawa State has given Governor Abdullahi Sule, a three-week ultimatum to begin the payment of the N70,000 new minimum wage.

Labour also called on the governor to commence the payment of backlog of workers’ entitlements running into N250m.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Nasarawa State, Ismaila Okoh, made the call at a press briefing in Lafia on Thursday.

Okoh spoke at the end of an emergency meeting held by labour with workers in the state.

He warned that failure to meet the demands, workers in the state would embark on a strike.

“We are giving the Nasarawa State government until the end of August to start paying the new national minimum wage and other entitlements of workers in the state in order to avert an indefinite strike.

“Civil servants in the state have made enormous sacrifices for the development of the state, so it is important for the state government to act fast in improving the welfare of workers,” the NLC chairman said.

When contacted, the state Head of Civil Service, Abigail Waya, said the government had yet to conclude plans for the implementation of the new minimum wage.

She, however, assured the workers of the state government’s commitment to improving their welfare.

Our correspondent reports that the atmosphere around the civil service in Nasarawa State had been characterised by uneasiness, uncertainty and apprehension following repeated pronouncements by the state government that it was ready to commence payment of the new national minimum wage.