Several state governors have launched top level efforts to stave off the strike brewing over the delay in implementing the new minimum wage.
Governors Ben Ayade (Cross River), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara) have commenced negotiations with labour in their states to ensure that the stalemate is resolved before the January 31 ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for the payment of the minimum wage in all the states.
Governor Ayade last Friday inaugurated the state public service negotiating team for the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Ayade who was represented by his deputy, Professor Ivara Esu, said his administration was willing to pay the new minimum wage.
He said: “We are only here to negotiate the consequential adjustments that will affect salaries from Grade levels 7 to 17. In doing that, we carefully selected this team of technocrats and strong labour people not just from the state civil service but from the local government for the negotiations.”
But he urged the team to bear in mind the state’s financial reality.
“In carrying out these negotiations, you must ensure that you think about the purse of the state as in the entire South South zone, Cross River is the only state that does not get a penny as extra revenue coming from oil,” he said.
The committee is to present its report on or before January 31, 2020.
Speaking on behalf of the team, the chairman of the negotiation team, Dr Chris Ekeng Ita said, “the first job has been made easy by the caliber of people that are meant to negotiate because they are knowledgeable”.
Kogi: “We’re working hard to pay”
The Special Adviser on Information to the Kogi governor, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, told The Nation in Lokoja that government is in dialogue with labour to “ensure there is no industrial crisis.”
He said: “The new minimum wage requires financial engineering. We are working hard and I can assure you that the governor is fully committed to paying the minimum wage”.
Kwara also gets minimum wage negotiating committee
The Kwara State Government has also assembled its own negotiating team to interface with labour unions on the minimum wage.
Following a directive by Governor AbdulRazaq, the Head of Service, Mrs Modupe Oluwole, constituted the panel which comprises Commissioners for Finance (Chairman); Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (member); Works and Transport (member);among others.
The secretary of the committee is the Director (Establishment and Pension) Mrs Onaolapo Alaya.
Credit: The Nation
