Linus Oota , Lafia, Olarenwaju Lawal, kebbi, Gyang Beere, Jos
Obaseki, labour, trade unions harmonise N30,000 minimum wage agreement States across the country have intensified efforts to resolve the minimum wage issues to avert industrial crisis. Organised labour had issued a January 31 deadline to state to complete negotiation and commence payment of the N30,000 wage.
Ahead of the deadline, Edo Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), yesterday, signed the new N30,000 national minimum wage document, which sets the stage for the payment of the new minimum wage to workers in the state.
Speaking at the signing of the document at the Government House in Benin City, Obaseki noted that workers in the state would on January 26 receive bank alerts reflecting the new minimum wage.
Chairman of NLC, Sunny Osanyande and that of JNC, Catherine Eseine commended the governor for prioritising the welfare of state workers.
Plateau, Labour yet to agree
However, organised labour and the Plateau government have yet to agree on the new minimum wage and the consequential adjustments for state workers.
State chairman of NLC, Eugene Manji, who made the disclosure in Jos, yesterday, said the state JNC, NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had met on January 10 on the issue.
“We held an NLC SEC meeting on Jan. 10 and we were briefed on the level of negotiations for consequential adjustments by the JNC. We were told that series of meetings were held between JNC and government but there is no resolution yet.
“The state government has declined to adopt the consequential adjustment template of the Federal Government. They made some offers on what they intended to pay workers but it is a far cry from what the workers are demanding,” he said. The chairman said tthe JNC had already conceded two per cent for each category.
“For example, for salary Grade Level 7, Federal Government paid 23.3 per cent, Labour in Plateau says pay us 22.7 per cent but government is offering only 11 per cent.
“Grade Levels 8-14, Federal Government is paying 16 per cent, labour says pay us 15.7 per cent but Plateau government is offering seven per cent…
“The feedback will determine our next line of action whether or not to embark on an industrial action,” he said.
NLC tasks Kebbi
The NLC has urged the Kebbi government to set up a committee on consequential adjustment of all categories of workers’ salaries.
The call was contained in a communique issued by the state chapter of the NLC at the end of its executive council meeting in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
It was jointly signed by the state Chairman and Secretary of the congress, Messrs Umar Halid and Sani Muhammad, respectively. Other signatories are the state Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Alhaji Hussain Maisamari, and TUC state Secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Garba.
They urged the government to fast track the review of the new minimum wage and consequential adjustment as earlier approved by the government.
Nasarawa, Kogi inaugurate committees
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa has inaugurated an 11-member committee on the implementation of workers’ outstanding promotion and salary arrears.
Inaugurating the committee on Monday in Lafia, Sule said that the committee was in line with the administration’s resolve to address the lingering issues of promotions.
He said it was also to help in the appropriate placement of workers to improve their welfare for enhanced productivity.
Also Kogi government and the organised labour have set up a 14-man committee to negotiate the implementation of the new minimum wage to workers in the state.
The Chief Press Secretary, Mr Mohammed Onogwu said the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Folashade Ayoade is the Chairman of the committee which also has the state Head of Service, Mrs Deborah Ogunmola as member.
NLC appeals to Bayelsa on December salaries
However, the Bayelsa Council of NLC has urged the government to expedite action on the payment of December salaries of some category of workers in the state.
The state’s NLC Chairman, Mr John Ndiomu, said in a statement in Yenogoa, yesterday, that the affected workers were in dire need of their salaries.
Ndiomu, urged government to fasttrack efforts towards ensuring that the salaries were paid without further delay.