Workers in the country no longer need to embark on the planned warning strike. The 36 state governors have all agreed to the implementation of the N18,000 minimum. This was one of the resolutions arrived at late Saturday night when the governor met under the umbrella of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) at the Rivers state Governor’s Lodge. The only snag for now is the date of commencement as each state was expected to reach an agreement with labour unions in their respective states on this. The Nigerian Labour Congress had issued a strike notice to begin Wednesday to press home their demand for the implementation of the minimum wage by the three tiers of governments as well as private employers. Governor Rotimi Ameachi of Rivers and also the Chairman of the forum read the communique at the end of the meeting which was well attended by the governors. The governors’ decision it was gathered was meant to avoid the attendant implication of such a strike on the economy. The governors also appealed to the workers not to forget the proposed three-day warning strike. Ameachi said all the governors have agreed to comply with the provisions of the Minimum Wage Act and so the there was no need for the workers to embark on the proposed warning strike. “We , the executive governors of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at our meeting held on July 15, 2011 at the Rivers State Governors Lodge under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum deliberated over a number of issues and resolved as follows. “On the issue of minimum wage, the Forum resolved to comply with the provisions of the Minimum Wage Act and further agreed that individual states should commence implementation modalities.” Though the communiqué did not state the date of commencement, Governor Ameachi however told newsmen that each state was expected to negotiate that with labour unions in their respective states on this. “You see, there is no way we can on our own, develop our states without the cooperation of the workers. In fat, we see them as partners and that is why we are appealing to them to shelve their proposed strike. “There is no need for it again because we have all agreed to pay them the minimum wage, which we also considered to be a law and as law enforcers in our different sates, we won’t go against the law.”

Its not by agreement but they should pay up.