New Minimum Wage:Udom to Meet Labour Leaders By ANIETIE ESU

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has promised that he will meet with Labour Leaders in the State by next week to critically look at the contentious issue on the  N30, 000  new National Minimum Wage to workers.

Governor Emmanuel made the promise yesterday while addressing leadership and members of the State Chapters of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress, (TUC)  and the United Labour Congress (ULC)  who were at the main gate of the Government House, Uyo on a nationwide peaceful  protest over the refusal of the presidency to transmit the new National Minimum Wage bill of N30, 000 to the National Assembly. 

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, the Governor commended  the leadership of the three labour unions for their civility and orderly conduct while carrying out their "procession," and urged them to remain calm as his administration was committed to the welfare and well-being of workers in the state.

He said, "I am very impressed by the maturity as expected of workers, by the comportment, by the candour and the peace exhibited in your procession to the Governor's Office main gate. That shows how mature, how orderly workers are."

The National President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who was represented by the National ex-officio of the Union, Comrade (Dr) Comfort Oku threatened that any State Governor that refused to comply with the new minimum wage of N30,000 when enacted into law should not expect votes from workers in the forthcoming elections. 

The State Chairman, NLC, Comrade Etim Ukpong expressed the hope that Governor Emmanuel will be committed to the speedy implementation of the new minimum wage, noting that the reports of the tripartite committee on the wage was submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari on November 6, 2018.

Also speaking, the State Chairman, TUC, Comrade Akamba Awah, thanked the State Chief Executive for receiving the protesting workers wholeheartedly, describing him as a labour friendly Governor and assured the Governor of workers' votes in his reelection.

"Our Governor has been very Labour friendly and it is because of that we've been reciprocating," Awah assured.

Highpoint of the peaceful protest was the presentation of the official protest letter to the Governor by the State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Etim Ukpong, supported by the representative of the National President of NLC, Comrade (Dr)  Comfort Oku, the State TUC Chairman,Comrade Akamba Awah and his ULC Counterpart, Comrade Bassey Essien.