By Gbemi Oye
Oil rich states in the country are yet to finalize talks with labour leaders on the payment of the new minimum wage.
Many Nigerians want the oil endowed states to pay the new wage because they have the capacity to do so.
The states are Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom.
But so far, the state’s, the magazine learnt have not indicated any interest to pay, though they have set up committees to negotiate union bodies such as NLC and TUC.
If the situation persists these states could be flashpoints for labour showdown in the new year.
President of the Nigerian labour Congress, Ayuba Wabash on Monday, read riots act to state government still dragging their foot on the issue.
According to Waba, over 33 states have been negotiating with his members, three, he stated were yet to do anything at all.
The states are Cross River, Kogi and Taraba.
The labour leader warned that his members will not take it easy with states that refuse to pay the new wage.
According to the breakdown, only 10 states have concluded negotiations with workers on consequential adjustments and are ready to implement the minimum wage law.
A total of 23 states are still talking with labour, Waba said recently.
Wabba also listed eight states Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, , Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Ebonyi, to have concluded negotiation but yet to implement.
He said states must obey the law signed last year by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We are actually on track. The Federal Government has set the pace. They have been able to meet up with all the obligations, including payment of arrears.
Let us also not lose sight of the fact that from the day the President assented to the bill, it became law. Therefore, states have no reason not to respect a law that was enacted.”
States he said have capacity to pay “We insist on the process of collective bargaining because we don’t want an allocation of peanuts to workers.
The principle of collective bargaining is enshrined in international law that workers should be able to know what they will be paid because the N30, 000 is already a law. What we are discussing is the consequential adjustment.”
“That is why the unions are interested in looking at the details before they sign.
Some (states) will want to pay peanut and that is what we are trying to avoid.”
Lagos and Kaduna states have started implementation of the new wage “there’s no excuse for oil rich states to pay N30,000 or more, ” said Ahmed Ajala, a human rights activist in Lagos.
