Strike looms as FG, labour fail to reach agreement on N30k minimum wage adjustment

Labour unions in the country are considering another strike having failed to reach an agreement with the federal government on the consequential adjustment of the N30,000 minimum wage.

In April, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the N30,000 new national minimum wage bill into law.

But the policy is yet to take effect over discrepancies in the salary scales for the various tier of workers.

At a meeting on Monday, between the joint public service negotiating council, chaired by Winifred Oyo-Ita, head of civil service of the federation, and the unions, both parties only made minor adjustments to their earlier positions.

The government team stepped up from 9.5 percent to 11 percent for grade levels seven to 14, and 6.5 percent from 5.5 percent for levels 15 to 17.

Simon Anchaver, chairman of the labour team, said workers stepped down to 29 percent from 30 percent for grade levels seven to 14, and 24 from 25 percent for levels 15 to 17.

Anchaver said the labour negotiating team has taken a resolution to write to the leaderships of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to consider a strike as a means of putting pressure on the government.

He described the government’s position as “foot dragging on the new wage implementation”, adding that it was an invitation to a strike action.

He said workers are already agitated on whether their salary arrears will be paid when talks are finally concluded.

He said the two positions reached at the end of the meeting will be presented to the president for further action.

Source: The CableNG