BY WOLE MOSADOMI

Minna-The negotiation between the organised labour and Niger State government over the implementation of N18,000 minimum wage has finally collapsed.

Consequently, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has given the government up till Friday to implement the new wage or face an industrial action by workers.

State NLC Chairman, Comrade Ndako Idris who made this known at a briefing Tuesday, said the two parties disagreed on fundamental issues concerning the new wages.

While the Labour said it would cost the government about N2.2billion monthly to pay the workers, the government presented a different wage bill of N2 billion which the workers refused to accept.

The chairman said with the development, it was now very clear that the state government was not ready to implement the new minimum wage, adding that workers were being taken for a ride.

Idris warned that workers would embark on an indefinite industrial action from Monday, if government failed to pay the new wages by Friday.

Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor, Danladi Ndayebo said the government was aware that the new minimum wage which had become an Act of the Legislature adding that it was therefore committed to obeying the law by paying.

He, however, said that talks between government and Labour were still going on and that “Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu is just taking his time to come out with a final decision that will leave both government and the civil servants in the state very happy.”