FG, labour trade tackles over implementation of new National Minimum Wage

The Federal Government and labour have bickered over delays in the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage, as the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita on Monday accused labour of stalling implementation with unrealistic demands.

Labour, through the Joint National Public Negotiation Council, JNPNC, on the other hand insisted that the current template being proposed by the Federal Government will only improverish Nigerian workers.

The JNPNC also accused government of deliberately introducing a new strategy to halt negotiation with the introduction of new figures to come up with its own template.

Negotiation over the implementation of the new wage between the Federal Government and the JNPNC broke down two weeks ago due to differences in percentage increase in the salaries of workers.

The Federal Government, through its representatives in the technical committee set up to negotiate the consequential increase, had proposed 9.5 per cent salary increase for workers on Grade Level 07 to Level 14 and five per cent increase for employees on Grade Level 15 to 17.

The JNPNC however demanded 30 per cent salary increase for workers on Grade Level seven to 14 and 25 per cent for workers on Grade Level 15 to 17.

The Head of Service, who spoke with journalists at the opening of a retreat on 2017-2020 federal civil service strategy and implementation plan organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in Abuja on Monday, said the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to the implementation of the new minimum wage, calling in labour to review its demands.

She said: “President Buhari is keen on the implementation of the new minimum wage and that is why the committee set up on the consequential adjustment arising from the new minimum wage has been meeting unions within the labour union and the public service to arrive at a consequential adjustment.

“There were a few not very realistic demands from the unions and so as not to continue delaying the implementation of the well-thought-out and clear policy of the President, we have to go ahead and seek his approval for the implementation while we continue discussion on the consequential adjustment.”

The Secretary General of the JNPSNC, Alade Lawal, however denied that it was delaying the implementation because of its demands, adding that government has demonstrated its unwillingness to hold fair and healthy bargain with labour during negotiation.

According to Lawal, what government is proposing would only make workers poorer.

He said: “The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation was not saying the truth. The whole world knows that we started negotiation with the government with open hands, hoping that we would be accorded same by the Federal Government’s representatives in the committee. At a stage, government became unrealistic considering all variables that had taken place in our economy.

“What the government is putting on the table will only make workers poorer. Some of the actors on the side of government think they know more than everybody. This is why we are where we have found ourselves today. It is the government that is delaying implementation for obvious reason that it is not ready to pay what is reasonable to workers.”

Lawal also accused government of introducing strange terms of reference which would ensure that whatever the committee arrived at as consequential increase must align with what was provided for in the 2019 budget.

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This, Lawal said, was another ploy by the government to weaken the bargaining process.

“That clause about 2019 budget alignment was not part of the terms of reference given when the committee was inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on May 14.

“We were not consulted when government decided on the figure and inserted it in the budget. How then can that figure be the benchmark for our negotiation?

“That means that government had decided on what it wanted to pay and only wanted us to rubber-stamp it. In that case, why opening negotiation with labour on the minimum wage? If the Federal Government already knew the figure, then there was no need for bargaining. However, in labour matters and industrial relations, collective bargaining is a key process in ensuring fairness. These are questions Nigerians must ask government.”

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