The disagreement between organized labour and the government over the new N30,000 national minimum wage seem not to be abating, as the ongoing negotiations has suffered another setback following minor changes at the end of the committee meeting held in Abuja, on Monday.
Information filtering out at the end of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) meeting which was chaired by the Head of service of the federation, Winifred Oyo-ita, show that both the federal government and the labour teams of the joint public service negotiating council only made minor adjustment to their earlier positions.
It is instructive that neither the government nor the labour team have been able to reach an agreement over the relativity/consequential for the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the N30,000 national minimum wage in April, 2019; just as its implementation is yet to be effected five months after presidential assent. It was gathered that the federal government decided to step up from 9.5 percent to 11 percent for grade levels 7 to 14 and 6.5 percent from 5.5 percent for levels 15 to 17.
Speaking on the changes, Simon Anchaver, the chairman of the organised Labour, said, “workers stepped down to 29 from 30 percent for grade levels 7 to 14 and 24 from 25 percent for levels 15 to 17.”
He added that the labour negotiating team has also resolved to write to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on their advice to consider an industrial action.
According to him, government’s delay is an invitation for industrial action noting that workers are already engulfed in fear and agitations whether their accumulated arrears will be paid when talks are finally concluded.
He said just like the last inconclusive meeting, the two positions at the end of today’s talks are expected to be presented to Mr President for further actions.
