Alex Ottey prevents labor unrest over new minimum wage

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has averted a looming industrial crisis in the state after reaching an agreement with trade unions on acceptable terms for the implementation of a new minimum wage.

The “amicable agreement” comes on the heels of rows between the Abia State House of Assembly and the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) State Council, which alleged that the House was considering a bill aimed at undermining the autonomy of local governments.

Information Commissioner Okey Kanu announced on Tuesday that the government and unions had resolved their differences after talks on Monday, adding that payment of the new minimum wage would begin as planned before the end of the month.

“The state government and the unions have reached an amicable agreement on the payment of the new minimum wage,” Kanu told reporters at Government House.

However, he said payment of the new minimum wage could not begin on the 28th of the month, the usual pay day, “as negotiations ended early on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Honorable Emmanuel Emeruwa, has warned the Abia NLC leadership to desist from making unfounded allegations against the state legislature.

The Speaker was responding to alarm raised by the NLC that the House is considering a bill that would give the State Government the power to take on 90 per cent of local government allocations, leaving councils with only 10 per cent.

“There was nothing like this before me, there is nothing like it,” he said, adding: “I challenge them (NLC) to provide evidence of what they wrote because you can’t say what you don’t know.”

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nogo

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