The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has described the threat by the Ebonyi State Government to sack striking workers as “irresponsible and unhelpful.”
Ajaero, in a communique made available to THE WHISTLER on Monday night, said Governor Francis Nwifuru’s refusal to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage was a display of impunity toward workers in the state.
Nwifuru had issued a stern warning to state workers, threatening immediate dismissal to anyone participating in the strike action called by the congress.
Nwifuru claimed that the state had already adopted the new minimum wage, making the strike unnecessary.
“Ebonyi state government is not owing any worker in the state, both pension, gratuity, and salary, and we are paying the minimum wage as enshrined in the Act of the National Assembly
“I have informed the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, I have directed all the commissioners, all the agencies and departments of government to be in their different offices and ensure they take records of the staff that come to work, and those are the people that will be paid through table payment.
“The staff will be paid by the number of days that they came to work. If any staff decides not to come to work, let the person forget about Ebonyi State Government.
“Ebonyi workers are enjoying their promotion accordingly. My worry is why should our state join in a strike action when there is no reason for it,” Nwifuru had said.
Responding to the governor’s threats, Ajaero said the state government had refused to dialogue with labour leaders in the state while emphasizing that Nwifuru is not “God.”
“We are dismayed by the statement credited to the Ebonyi State Governor, Mr Nwifuru, that except the striking workers in the state over non-payment of the National Minimum Wage resume work immediately, they should consider themselves sacked.
“We recall that the strike action was preceded by failed conversations and notices to the Governor on the need to implement the 2024 national minimum wage since it was signed into law several months ago.
“The law has provisions for enforcement by workers. Besides this, strike action is a lawful/legitimate tool in the hands of aggrieved workers. In light of this, we consider the threats by the governor as irresponsible and unhelpful.
“What a reasonable governor acting reasonably ought to have done was to invite the labour leaders in the state for dialogue for a speedy resolution of the facts in issue, but he thinks he is God.
“The world must know that Nwifuru is the first to draw ‘blood in a matter of which he is completely guilty of,” Ajaero declared, adding that the industrial action would not be called off based on a sack threat to workers.
He revealed that the National Secretariat of the Congress has directed all the affiliates, including those in the private sector, to immediately join in the strike action.
He added, “Similarly, we urge the workers already on strike to not yield to the threats of the governor but sustain the momentum until the governor sees the need to not only behave properly but pay the minimum wage in compliance with the law.”
He further noted that the right of response is available in pursuance of a just cause, and workers in the state would be communicated on the next approach to the strike action.