FCT area council workers declare strike over N70,000 minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the FCT has directed all workers across the six area councils of the FCT to embark on indefinite strike action from December, 1, 2024, over non-implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage arrears by the six area council chairmen. Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the FCT, […]

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the FCT has directed all workers across the six area councils of the FCT to embark on indefinite strike action from December, 1, 2024, over non-implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage arrears by the six area council chairmen.

Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the FCT, Comrade Stephen Knabayi, gave the directive when he addressed newsmen at the Labour House in Abuja, on Saturday.

He said the union decision to direct its members to embark on the strike action was as a result of the failure of the six area council chairmen to implement the N70,000 national minimum wage, which he said was a gross violation of the law and total disregard for the welfare and well-being of the workers in the area councils.

He said despite the fact that the six area council chairmen were issued a communique of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the NLC held in Port Harcourt, River State on November 11, 2024, the council chairmen had blatantly refused to respond to the demand for the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage across the six area councils.

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According to him, it was in response of the six area council chairmen’s inaction to implement the new minimum wage that the organised labour in its state administrative council meeting held on November 12, 2024, unanimously resolved to adhere strictly to the national directive to embark on an indefinite strike action should any government fail to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage on or before the last day of November, 2024.

“The SEC also noted with deep frustration and persistent delay and outright refusal by the six area council chairmen to pay some pending entitlements to the workers including the outstanding arrears of the primary school teachers in their respective area councils.

“Therefore, all the workers in the six area councils of the FCT are hereby issued a matching order without hesitation to proceed on an indefinite strike action begining from first December, 1, 2024, until further directives are issued,” the NLC chairman said.