…May commence industrial action on Wednesday

…Government representatives accused of being unserious, indifferent

By Ike Uchechukwu, CALABAR

Organised Labour has warned that industrial harmony in Cross River State could be at risk starting Wednesday if the state government fails to take concrete steps toward the implementation of the new national minimum wage of N70,000.

The warning comes after Labour staged a walkout during a scheduled meeting with the Joint Public Service Negotiating and Implementation Committee, which was convened to discuss the new minimum wage. The committee is chaired by the State Head of Service, Dr. Innocent Eteng, and includes representatives from various labour unions, including the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Speaking to Vanguard after the walkout, TUC Chairman in Cross River, Mr. Monday Ogbodum, expressed frustration, saying the government appeared uncommitted to implementing the new wage.

Ogbodum stated, “From the looks of things, this same committee does not seem ready for any action. We have heard reports that the government is not planning to begin implementation until January 2025, but we have a directive from our national leadership for the wage to be implemented from October.”

He added, “Our concern is that the Cross River Governor was a member of the committee that proposed this new wage. As the South-South representative in that committee, he should be leading the way, yet Cross River is lagging behind while other states have already made announcements about the new wage for workers. Previously, the governor assured us that he would implement whatever was agreed upon, but as it stands, there is no seriousness from the government.”

NLC Chairman in the state, Mr. Gregory Olayi, also weighed in, stating that the walkout was prompted by the lack of seriousness shown by the government’s representatives on the committee.

He explained, “The government has not put anything substantive on the table. The representatives don’t seem to be acting on the governor’s mandate. At our last meeting on Thursday, they formed a technical committee, which we expected would bring something for us to discuss. Instead, they arrived empty-handed and unprepared, forcing us to stage a walkout until they are ready to engage with us.”

Olayi further stated that Labour would meet with all its organs in Cross River on Tuesday to discuss the next steps. “On Thursday, we gave the government a 7-day ultimatum, which expired at midnight on Monday. After our meeting on Tuesday, we will decide on the way forward and take the necessary actions,” he said.

With tensions rising, Labour’s next move will depend on the outcome of Tuesday’s meeting, and industrial action may be imminent if the government does not demonstrate a commitment to implementing the new wage.