Labour, FG to meet again on minimum wage

Following disagreements in the implementation of the new minimum wage, labour leaders and Federal Government officials are expected to meet between Thursday and Friday to unlock the stalemate over ‘consequential adjustments’ after N30,000 was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari as minimum wage.

Recall that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige had said the government had commenced payment of the new wage for Levels 1 to 6 workers.

However, workers have alleged “divide and rule tactics” arising from government’s seeming reluctance to quickly deal with the issue of consequential adjustments for higher cadres.

Following this, the President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Quadri Olaleye, has carpeted the Federal Government for insincerity, adding that its representatives in the negotiation had not shifted grounds on their demands.

According to him, Labour would meet with the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council (JPSNC) on Friday, adding that, if nothing was done by then, labour will take a decision.

”You all know the body language already. So, by Friday, we will meet with the JPSNC and a decision will be taken. I want to assure you that, once a decision is taken, there is no going back”, he added.

Meanwhile, the JPSNC has warned that workers could go on strike over the delayed implementation of the new wage if negotiations continue to stall.

Read also: N90BN FIRS SCANDAL: Buhari administration a citadel of corruption —PDP

During earlier meetings, which was chaired by the then Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, government had shifted from its earlier position of 9.5 per cent to 11 per cent for grade levels seven to 14 and 6.5 per cent from 5.5 per cent for levels 15 to 17.

But workers had insisted that government should adjust the salaries of workers on grade levels 07 to 14 by 30 per cent and those on levels 15 to 17 by 25 per cent, having stepped down to 29 per cent from 30 per cent for grade levels 7 to 14 and 24 to 25 per cent for levels 15 to 17.

A member of the JNPSNC, who didn’t want name mentioned confirmed the proposed Friday meeting, saying that the labour team would be led by the NLC President Ayuba Wabba.

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