The Organised Labour on Tuesday rose from its national executive meeting issuing a notice to the Federal Government about it decision to embark on an industrial action if negotiation on the consequential adjustment arising from the N30,000 new minimum wage breaks down.
The communiqué, which was signed by the acting Chairman of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council Anchaver Simon, and secretary of the body, Alade Lawal, called on government to reconvene the meeting of the negotiating committee, accusing it of deliberately making attempt to deny workers the opportunity of benefitting maximally from the new Minimum Wage Act signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in April this year.
The communiqué read, “We have commenced mobilisation and sensitisation of public employees in the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory to prepare them for total trade unions action in event that negotiation on the consequential adjustment arising from the N30,000 monthly minimum wage breaks down.”
The union’s position was coming on a day the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, clarified that the NLC had not given any notice of strike to the FG, stressing that negotiation on the salary increase was progressing smoothly. He, however, added that such action might be necessary.
Government’s negotiation with the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council on the increase in workers’ salary deadlocked after representatives of government proposed 9.5 per cent salary increase for employees on Grade Levels 07-14 and five per cent for those on Grade Levels 15-17.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Richard Egbule, says the Federal Government has approved with immediate effect the payment of the new minimum wage of N30,000 for workers who are currently earning wages below the new approved benchmark.
