Why N30,000 new minimum wage hasn’t been implemented - Labour leader
- The federal government hasn’t been able to implement the new minimum wage as it continues to disagree with labour unions over how to calculate percentage increase
- Labour leaders insist that levels seven to 14 officers should also get an additional 30 percent of their salaries
- TUC secretary general, Musa Lawal, says it is not right to say previous minimum wage reviews had not reflected percentage as increase, as currently being demanded by labour
The federal government has been unable to implement the new N30,000 minimum wage, following its approval months ago, as it continues to disagree with labour unions over how to calculate percentage increase across all levels of public service.
In addition to the adjustments of the minimum wage of those who are already on level one to level six to reflect the new minimum wage, to ensure equity, the government had also proposed a consequential salary adjustment of N10,000 per month across the board, ThisDay reports.
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Legit.ng gathers that this gave rise to the additional cost implication of N158,771,830,326.00 per annum, which has already been captured in the 2019 budget.
A source, however, disclosed that the resultant additional cost would be about N500,813, 183,739.00 per annum, if proposals from labour are accepted by the government. This is far above the sum budgeted.
But labour leaders insist that levels seven to 14 officers should also get an additional 30 percent of their salaries, while those on level 15 to level 17 should have 25 percent of their current monthly earnings added to their salaries.
Secretary general of the Trade Union Congress, Musa Lawal, stated:
“You can’t give absolute figure for minimum wage increase. It is a percentage issue and we told them right from time. It is a question of percentage.
“Somebody who was on N18,000 who moves to N30,000, what is the difference? It is the percentage difference we are looking for; anything short of that is zero and we are not taking it. That is the position of labour.”
Lawal also insisted that it is not right to say previous minimum wage reviews had not reflected percentage as increase, as currently being demanded by labour.
He said: “They had a table that ensured that no one was cheated. If they present the table, we will look at it, but they have not presented the table.
“As it is now, what the federal government is offering is useless and cannot be taken. They should give us paperwork on what they are saying and we will respond officially.”
Government and labour representatives were unable to agree on a definite percentage at a final meeting of the committee set up by the federal government to negotiate the implementation structure.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Trade Union Side (TUS) of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) on Wednesday, July 3, began mobilising members over the alleged move of the federal government to delay the implementation of the new minimum wage.
The TUS said that it will have no other option but to embark on a nationwide strike, if the consequential adjustment brought about by the N30,000 new minimum wage is not effected speedily as agreed.
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Source: Legit.ng
