Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, has confirmed that juniors workers
employed by the Federal Government, have started receiving the N30,000
minimum wage.
Ngige stated this while speaking in Enugu over the weekend.
He disclosed that the payment to levels 1 to 6 commenced last month.
The Minister’s claim was corroborated by the National President of
the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) and a member of the Joint Public
Service Negotiating Council Mr. Lawrence Amaechi.
Ngige noted that the only issue at stake, was the executive cadre of
Grades level 7 to 17, which required consequential adjustment that was
still being negotiated.
“The major hurdle in the minimum wage issue has been crossed. We have
crossed the rubicon and the rubicon was getting a new rate for the
minimum wage. And the minimum wage is the lowest remuneration paid as
compensation to a worker for his services and this is for the least paid
worker in Nigeria.
“It is for those on lowest rung of the payment ladder. And in the
public service, it is for the workers on Grade Level 1 Step 1. We moved
it from N18, 000 as in the old Act to N30, 000. To me, that was the
major crossing of the rubicon.
“When you do that, there is what is called consequential adjustment
upstairs because you have by moving N18, 000 to N30, 000 crossed some
salary grade levels and surpassed them.
“Therefore, you must get those people that you have crossed and
passed to a higher level than N30, 000, which the lowest person now is
earning. So, that is the history of the consequential adjustment.
“And when you also do that for the lower level, Grade Level 1 to
Grade Level 6, the executive cadre, which starts from Grade Level 7 to
17, you must also give them a consequential movement, so that they will
have a feel that their subordinates have moved up to make them, because
some people now in Level 6 now move into old Level 10 salary structure
by the new minimum wage adjustment.
“So, you see now that this is something you must do across board,
consequentially. But, will the rates be the same? No. From Grade Level
1, anything you are doing there is consequential and must be done
through negotiation or what we call in labour parlance, collective
bargaining.
“And once you do collective bargaining and agree on something, it is
what you call Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). So, it is the
collective bargaining that is now done for consequential adjustment.
“Labour knows that, inconsequential adjustments and even in
collective bargaining, there are cardinal principles guiding CBA and
part of the principles guiding CBA is ability of employers to pay,
because there is no need for employer going to agree on something he
cannot pay and tomorrow, you are back to the negotiating table. So, that
is what is there.
“Unfortunately for government, after the agreement was signed into
law by the President on April 18, by May 29, the cabinet was dissolved.
So, the committee of government, government side negotiation was
cancelled.
“The members were the Ministers of Finance, Budget & National
Planning; Labour, Head of Service of the Federation and the Secretary to
Federal Government (SGF).
“Everybody, except the Head of Service, was dissolved by
implications. So, permanent secretaries by implications moved in to fill
the gaps. And they were the people who started negotiating with the
Joint Negotiating Council of Labour, because we have what is called
Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), that is a public service council.
“This is because what we are now talking about are workers in the
public service, not workers in the private sector. The private sector
workers are supposed to do their own negotiation with their employers.
But, negotiation with government workers, because public service is
government, is what is now going on and which is stalemated.
“I have told you that we exited as ministers and so, the former
committee did not have the original colour as it should be. Now that the
cabinet has been formed, and even with the exit of Head of Service,
that government committee will be reconstituted and plans are on for it
to be reconstituted next week, so that we can then engage JNC, Joint
Negotiation Council of labour.
“We are not negotiating with the labour union executive simplicita
because this does not concern every worker. It is workers in the public
service, what you call public sector. So, there is a difference and that
difference is what I want the public to know. This is one.
“The second leg is that, between Grade Level 1 Step 1 to Grade Level
6, there is a partial agreement already and the consequential adjustment
has been worked out and the Federal Government has paid the August
salary based on the minimum wage. August salary has been paid. That is
the report the accountant-general gave us in a meeting.
“So, categorically, government has started partial implementation of minimum wage.
“They have started applying the minimum wage payment. So, they have
paid in August. They are going to pay in September with arrears spanning
from April 18 to workers in this band that I have told you. And as for
workers from Grade Level 7 to 17, that their negotiation with the
committee of permanent secretaries, representing us, has hit the rocks,
we, as government are going to reconstitute the committee and engage
them.
“So, they should not be issuing threat of strike because they know
that government has not settled down. They know it. They have not seen
my face in any of their negotiation because I have not gotten any
briefing from those who were in the committee before us.
“They have to do us a handover of where they stopped in the
negotiation. That is how government functions and then, we take it from
there. They have not done a formal handover. We are going to
reconstitute a committee next week and the old committee will do a
handover.
“I can assure you that we’ll speedily negotiate with labour and the
JNC. So, it is not good for them to say government is dragging their
feet. They know the problem. They know government has not settled down.
So, that is the situation,” Ngige said.
On his part, Amaechi added: “They have gone to commence the payment.
They told us that they have started the payment and we have confirmed
from our members that they were paid in August and have promised to pay
the arrears in September.
“But negotiations have stalled for now and during our last meeting,
we said that we were going to report to our principals, which we have
done. We are waiting for directives from our members on what to do.
“But, we have started mobilising against them and hope that they will
see reason and improve on what they are offering. The meeting had
adjourned and there is no date yet for the next meeting.”