Unions demand December implementation of N70,000 wage; Chairmen propose January
The strike led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has extended into its 11th day, with no resolution in sight as negotiations between labour unions and Area Council Chairmen remain deadlocked over the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage.
Speaking on Tuesday, the FCT Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Abdullahi Kabir, revealed that the Area Council Chairmen proposed implementing the new wage in January 2025, but the unions rejected this, insisting on a December 2024 start.
“As I’m talking to you now, there is a discussion ongoing with the Area Council Chairmen. The Council Chairmen are appealing to the union that we should leave the issue of implementation till January. Meanwhile, the union is saying that the implementation should start in December,” Kabir said.
The unions argue that delaying implementation until January would increase arrears to five months, while a December start would reduce it to four months.
Other Grievances
Beyond the minimum wage issue, Kabir highlighted other unresolved grievances, including the lack of peculiar allowances for local government workers, discrepancies in pay compared to FCTA staff, and delays in implementing 25% allowances under CONHESS and CONMESS, as well as other wage awards.
“It is not only the issue of minimum wage we are talking about in the FCT. There is the issue of peculiar allowances. The FCTA has gotten theirs; we are going to the same market, we pay the same rent,” he said.
Kabir emphasized that the FCT’s unique status, where the Minister acts as a stand-in for the President as the de facto Governor, should entitle local government workers to similar benefits as their counterparts.
“The FCT minister is standing in for President Bola Tinubu as the Governor of the FCT. President Bola Tinubu is the President of the FCT. So we are supposed to benefit from all these things,” Kabir added.
Strike Continues
Kabir reaffirmed that the strike would persist until the NLC issued a directive to end it.
“The strike has not ended until the NLC calls us and says this is the MoU or the agreement. Then we will know how to sort ourselves,” he stated.
Efforts to reach the FCT NLC Chairman, Stephen Knabayi, for comments were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to phone calls or messages at the time of reporting.
The prolonged strike has continued to disrupt activities in the FCT, with many watching closely for a resolution between the unions and the government.
