NAN

Mr Leonard Nkah, the Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Ebonyi chapter, says is not yet time to shout ‘uhuru’ by Nigerian workers over the approved N27,000 new national minimum wage for workers.

Nkah who spoke to the News Agency of (NAN) on Wednesday in Abakaliki, said that the approval by the National Council of State (NCS) of N27,000 fail below the expectations and demands of organised labour.

Nkah said that the national leadership of labour unions in Nigeria has kicked against the development and noted that NLC in Ebonyi was supportive of the position.

“The Tripartite Committee on the Review of National Minimum Wage for Nigerian workers which comprised representatives from government, organised labour and the organised private sector had agreed on N30, 000.

“This report was adopted by another review committee set up to look into the recommendations of the tripartite committee which was finally submitted to the presidency.

“The position of labour is that the N30,000 already adopted by members of the committee should have been adopted by NCS as the body is not empowered under the labour law to alter decisions of the tripartite committee.

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“Labour in Ebonyi therefore align itself to the position of the national leadership on the issue, we will not be at variance with them, we will support the national leadership and wait until they get to the end of the matter, ” Nkah said.

Meanwhile two civil servants in the employ of Ebonyi Government, Mr Emeka Nkpuma and Mrs Stella Uchegbu, who spoke to NAN in separate interviews, commended the government for approving the N27000 new wage

They, however, explained that the amount approved fail short of the amount being demanded by workers and urged government to avert another impending national strike by approving the N30,000 earlier accepted by the tripartite committee.

“First we commend the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government for approving N27,000 wage increase.

“We however urge the government to fully meet the N30,000 which was agreed at the tripartite meeting to avert another industrial action by workers in Nigeria”, they said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalls that the National Council of State at a meeting on Jan. 22, adopted and approved N27,000 minimum wage for workers, while federal government agreed to pay N30,000 to federal workers