By CHARLES IWUOHA

Ebonyi state governor, Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, has given workers in the state 72 hours ultimatum to resume work or face dismissal.

The governor also threatened to replace them after their dismissal from duty.Nwifuru?s action followed a seven days warning strike issued by the Nigeria labour Congress, NLC Ebonyi state wing.

Addressing newsmen on Monday in his office at the new government house, Centenary city, Abakaliki, governor Nwifuru said the state government was not owing any worker talk of gratuity.

He stated that the state government has implemented the ?75,000 to workers and has stated paying it,added that he cannot go beyond what is not enshrined I by the national Assembly.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ebonyi State, had on Sunday commenced a 7 days warning strike over the non implementation of the new minimum wage structure.

The strike according to the union, commenced yesterday, Sunday December 1, 2024.

Chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Egwu Oguguo who disclosed this to journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital at a press conference yesterday.

He opined that governor Francis Nwifuru unilaterally pronounced a wage award of N75,000 to grade levels 1 and 2, and N40,000 across board award for Grade levels 3-16 which according to him,is averseto the traditional procedures of implementing minimum wage no matter the magnitude of the beautiful intent.

Egwu argued that when a minimum wage is pronounced, it goes through the rigours process of consequential adjustments that will translate into an agreement which would be signed by both thegovernment and the organised labour, stating that the pronouncement on the minimum wage by the governor was not a product of any collective bargaining agreement as the organized labour was never part of any consultation that led to thepronouncement.

?On behalf of the entire State Council, we convey a notice of a one week warning strike action byNigeria Labour Congress in Ebonyi State beginning from 00:00 hours of 1stDecember, 2024.

This is in line with the directive of 8thNovember 2024 by our national body to all State Councils in States yet to comply with extant procedures based on collective bargaining and eventual implementation of the New National Minimum Wage. This decision is as a result of the following reasons:

?Recall that on the 2ndof October, 2024, through the Secretary to Ebonyi State Government, you inaugurated a Minimum Wage Implementation Committee. Just about when the Committee was fine-tunning its presentation, Your Excellency, unilaterally pronounced a wage award of N75,000 to grade levels 1 and 2, and N40,000 across board award for Grade levels 3-16. This was done in a church service (Holy Mass in Government HouseChapel) on the 27thOctober, 2024.

?This wage award which you christened ?minimum wage? is averse to the traditional procedures of implementing minimum wage no matter the magnitude of the beautiful intent with which you made the pronouncement. When a Minimum wage is pronounced, it goes through the rigours of consequential adjustments that will translate into an agreement signed by both the Government and the Organised Labour.

The pronouncement made was not a product of any collective bargaining agreement as we were never part of any consultation that lead to the said pronouncement.

?To make matters worse for Ebonyi workers, the salary chart forced on workers and currently used did not undergo any consequential adjustment and has consistently malnourished the take-home pay of workers as it lacks minimal progression. This led to our dear state being mentioned as one of those that never implemented the N30,000 minimum wage of 2019.

?Your Excellency Sir, the Implementation Committee, which we are all part of, has arrived at an acceptable salary chart with consequential adjustment and substantial progression. Even the cost implication when compared with the award of October, 2024 has been generated and discussed with you.

?Your Excellency, all efforts made by the Chairman of the Committee you set-up to bring these facts to your notice have yielded no positive results. Even our candid, civil and appealingefforts have also yielded no results as you have vehemently ignored that kind inner drive of ours to better the lives of Ebonyi Workers.

?Our last interaction with you on the 27thNovember, when we passionately appealed that you rescind your decision and take the path of goodwill to the people in line with your People?s Charter of Needs mantra, appears to be an interaction that crushed the hearts of the workers most, because you unequivocally said a capital ?NO? to our friendly appeal.

Your Excellency, that was strange to us, giving your fatherly disposition that has always fetched your children agood opinion. Despite the excruciating pains of a depressed economy and low income of workers, we have been informed that workers are asked to pay the sum of N2,100 to participate in a staff audit exercise, which the Government approved without any discussion and commitment from the side of workers.

?As we convey this position Sir, most workers at the Local Government Councils are yet to receive their October, 2024 salaries.

?Teachers who are being paid are paid through a differentbank channel creating confusions as most statutory deductions are not effected. This is an anomaly that needs to be corrected before our poor teachers are further plunged into debilitating and abject poverty. And delays in the payment of monthly salaries of these Local GovernmentCouncils have become perennial and consistently weighed down on the psyche of the workers.

?Congress therefore met on 27thNovember and critically reviewed the flow of events and noted with pains, these actions and inactions, and unanimously resolved to embark on a one-week warning strike with effect from 00:00 hours of 1stDecember, 2024 for Government to reconsider its stance on the issue of minimum wage as well as engage the Committee set-up for this purpose as due diligence.

?Yes, Congress noted that our wonderful relationship with your government should have been an avenue for us to resolve these issues before any form of industrial disharmony. Even as we embark on this action, we still believe in your kind disposition as a workers-friendly Governor?, he said.