Abia State Governor, Alex Otti is engaged in negotiations with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to avert a planned indefinite strike scheduled for July 15.
Talks began on Friday and are expected to continue on Saturday, focusing on the welfare of Abia workers.
As part of the negotiations, Governor Otti announced plans to establish a Ministry of Labour and Productivity, led by a representative from the labour sector.
In a previous meeting, the Governor explained his administration hasn’t received federal funds to implement the N35,000 minimum wage. He also committed to initiating discussions on the N35,000 minimum wage for Abia workers, addressing their wage demands.
Among the demands by the organized labour were a minimum wage of N30,000, a palliative award of 35,000 naira, arrears of leave and promotions, salaries owed to workers in government parastatals and agencies, and pensions and gratuities.