By Miriam Abiri

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed anger over the failure of about 90 percent of states (over 30 states) in paying the wage award as agreed by the Federal Government and the organized Labour.

The NLC said this as pensioners who retired from the Federal Civil Service threatened to embark on a nationwide protest following the failure of the government to pay their wage award.

Labour leaders in Sokoto, Kano, Benue, and Bayelsa states told newsmen that their state governments had not paid the wage award, while Gombe, Ogun, and Osun were paying 15,000 naira or N

10,000 naira.

The NLC Assistant General Secretary, Chris Onyeka, in an interview, said state governors jettisoned negotiations, as they unilaterally gave workers 10,000 naira without any negotiation.

The payment of wage award to workers was one of the agreements between the organized labour and the Federal Government as one of the ways to mitigate the effect of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol.

In 2023, the NLC and Trade Union Congress entered into an agreement with the Federal Government where the latter agreed to pay a 35,000 naira wage award to workers for six months, as well as review the minimum wage in 2024.