The Nigeria Labour Congress is threatening another major strike, if state governors fail to meet the December 31 deadline for final negotiations and payment of the new minimum wage.

The union said in a communique at the end of its meeting, with state council chairmen, on the implementation of the national minimum wage, there are currently three implementation categories into which all states fell.

The union said Kaduna, Kebbi, Lagos and Adamawa have begun paying the new minimum wage, while Jigawa had concluded negotiations but yet to make its first payment to workers.

Other states like Borno, Abia, Kano, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Niger, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Katsina, and Zamfara states, have constituted negotiating committees to interact with labour, following consequential salary adjustments.

Union leaders say the rest of the states have turned deaf ears.

Organized labour says all workers must enjoy the full benefit of the new national minimum wage.

The presidency says it will not be bothered about reports of human rights abuses coming from the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union, because Nigeria is a sovereign nation.

Special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina says Nigeria is not answerable to any of these countries.

Adesina says on many occasions the federal government had reversed its positions on issues where genuine public concerns were raised. But he says the ultimatum issued by 14 civil society groups, and the punch editorial, were not the mind of majority of Nigerians.  He called them mere distractions

General secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajaero, has announced suspension of the union’s nationwide strike, barely twenty four hours after it began.

Ajaero says the strike was called off after a meeting with officials of the federal government including leaders of the union, bureau of public enterprises, and minister of state for labour, Festus Keyamo.

Disgruntled workers say the strike was necessary to settle unresolved workers` claims that have mounted after the privatization of the power sector.

The strike led to a nationwide shut down of electricity installations and has resulted in the disruption of service across the country.