Organised Labour in Abia State has called for a “consequential adjustment” to the new N70,000 minimum wage, following an inconclusive meeting with state government representatives. The demand was announced by Ogbonnaya Okoro, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), after Wednesday’s discussions at the Government House.
Okoro explained that the NLC, alongside the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), had submitted a template for wage adjustments to the government. However, he expressed surprise at the recent announcement by the state’s Commissioner for Information, who stated that the government had already approved the N70,000 minimum wage.
“We were taken aback when the Commissioner went on air to inform Abians that the government had approved the N70,000 minimum wage. We asked them which template they used to make this approval,” Okoro said.
The Labour leader emphasized that the ongoing negotiations were aimed at ensuring a fair consequential adjustment across all salary grades. “The N70,000 is the legal base for Level 1, Step 1, but this must also be reflected across all levels, from Grade 1 to 17,” he noted.
He clarified that Abia State does not have workers on Levels 1 and 2, but adjustments must start from Level 1 to ensure proper wage calculations for higher grades.
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Labour representatives are now waiting for the government to present its own template, with the next round of talks scheduled to continue on Thursday. “Both sides need to submit their templates so that we can agree on a final structure for the circular that will guide the Abia State Government’s implementation of the new wage,” Okoro added.
The NLC chairman also pointed out that while the N70,000 minimum wage is mandatory, other states, such as Rivers and Cross River, have increased their wages to N75,000 and N80,000, respectively. The discussions in Abia aim to finalize adjustments that reflect similar improvements for workers across all grade levels.
