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Minimum Wage: No Going Back on Strike Despite Court Order – Labour Unions

Published

7 years ago

November 4, 2018

Eric

Labour unions in Nigeria are insisting that despite a court order, they will commence a nationwide, indefinite strike from November 6 if the government refuses to meet their demands on a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

The unions are demanding N30,000 as minimum wage insisting the amount had been agreed at a triparite meeting involving them, the government and private employers of labour.

The federal government, however, insisted on a N24,000 minimum wage, while state governors after a meeting last week said they would only accept a N22,500 minimum wage.

The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, expressed reservations that the N22,500 is lower than that recommended by the federal government.

Mr Ngige, who spoke during an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday said the federal government is not in support of the state government’s proposal.

“The governors have not even done enough. I told them that this N22,500 was even rejected by the federal government,” the minister said.

“The national minimum wage is a national legislation being driven by the federal government of Nigeria in pursuance to item 34 of the exclusive legislative list. But you don’t go and make a law which people will disobey at the initial,” he said.

But the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Abdulaziz Yari, said they have agreed to pay N22,500 to workers.

Mr Yari, who is also the governor of Zamfara State explained that the acceptable minimum wage “must be done in such a way that total personnel cost does not exceed 50 per cent of the revenue available to each state”.

He said the forum is more concerned with the development in infrastructure, health, educational sectors.

“The welfare of all Nigerians is our ultimate concern. In all our states, we are concerned about the deteriorating economic situation experienced by the vulnerable segment of our population,” Mr Yari said.

A court on Friday ordered labour unions not to commence the planned strike.

Justice Sanusi Kado of the National Industrial Court gave the order following an ex-parte motion filed by the federal government and the attorney general if the federation.

But the labour minister in the statement on Friday said a reconciliation meeting involving organised labour, the organised private sector and the government scheduled for Sunday remained unchanged despite the court order.

The conciliation meeting is scheduled for November 4 at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by 6 p.m.

Mr Ngige said this would be followed by another meeting of the National Tripartite Minimum Wage Committee meeting on Monday, November 5 at the same venue.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES Friday night, the national president of United Labour Congress (ULC), Joe Ajaero, said the unions are not aware that the issue had been taken to the industrial court.

“None of us is aware of this development. We are not aware that any trade dispute has been declared and we have not been served. What we don’t understand is whether the injunction is to prevent the Nigerian workers from collecting N30,000 or it is from another reason , we have not been told,” he said

According to him, “the federal said they are inviting us for a meeting and how can they have a court order and invite us for the meeting at the same time because we can not negotiate under duress”.

Mr Ajaero said the only meeting the unions can honour is where the ” agreement for the minimum wage will be signed and forwarded to National Assembly for enactment”.

“The whole picture is not clear to us, we cannot tolerate if it is a black market injunction. The Supreme Court said parties involved must be put on notice for them to have a case but as for today, we are not aware. Well, they asked us to come for a meeting by 6 p.m. on Sunday and another one on Monday,” Mr Ajaero said.

Similarly, the General Secretary of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Peter Ozo Eson said the nationwide strike can only be called off “if the condition to prevent the strike are met before November 6″.

“We are not aware of any such development, strike has been called and we are going on strike except the demands are met,” Mr Ozo Eson said.

“To us, it is still a rumour because we are not even aware of it. We are not legally bound and the strike will commence and nothing will stop us,” the General Secretary, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Musa Lawal said.

Mr Lawal said the indefinite strike can only be stopped when the government fulfilled its part on the minimum wage issue.

“From November 6, be sure that we will be on the road and nothing is going to stop us,” he said.

Premium Times

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Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

18 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

Featured

Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

23 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

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DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.