The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has directed state councils of the union to commence mobilisation of their members immediately, should state governments failed to implement the new minimum wage by January 2020.

TUC President, Mr Quadri Olaleye and Secretary-General, Mr Musa Lawal, made this known on Thursday in Lagos at the end of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

“NEC-in-session commends the Federal Government for the eventual completion of negotiation with respect to the consequential adjustments and commencement of payment of the new National Minimum Wage to Federal workers.

“The congress, however, advises all state governments who have not complied with the implementation and immediate payment of the N30, 000.00 new National Minimum Wage to commence negotiations and implementation on or before Jan.31.

“Otherwise, the state governments should be responsible for the consequences of their failure.

“State Councils have been directed to commence mobilisation of their members immediately, ” the union leaders said in a statement.

They also expressed dismay over the spate of insecurity in the country, urging the government to intensify more practical efforts toward wiping out killings, kidnapping and insurgency.

According to them, such efforts should be in a bid to save the country from total collapse.

“NEC-in-session resolves to participate in a global rally against war slated for Jan. 25, 2020, in view of the vulnerability of workers in war period,” they said.

The leaders, while condemning all forms of casualisation and slave labour in Nigeria, said the union would engage any employer that violated the rights of workers to unionise and have permanent employment.

1. “The Federal Government is hereby advised to extend the Local Content Policy as applied in the Oil Sector to be applicable to other sectors of the nation’s economy,” they both said in the statement. (NAN)