By Adedapo Adesanya
After different meetings and disagreements, both the federal government and the labour union have reached a consensus on the issue of adjustment to the new minimum wage signed by President Muhammadu Buhari recently.
Business Post had reported that disagreements had risen over the adjustment of the minimum wage across board following the assent of the President to the new minimum wage law in April, this year.
The labour union was demanding a 29 percent salary increase for officers on salary level 07 to 14, and 24 percent adjustment for officers on salary grade level 15 to 17.
However, the federal government offered a much lower 11 percent salary increase for officers on grade level 07 to 14 and proposed a 6.5 percent adjustment for workers on grade level 15 to 17.
This was met with refusal as labour leaders argued that the percentages being offered by the government would be ineffective for workers in the light of the currency devaluation, fuel price hike, value-added tax increase and electricity tariff increase all of which occurred in recent years with the minimum wage at N18,000.
This led to the announcement of a planned nationwide strike if negotiations were not tabled in favour of both parties which led to Thursday’s lengthy meeting which lasted five hours from 8 p.m. through 3 a.m. on Friday morning and saw a working agreement to be implemented.
The minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr Chris Ngige, disclosed that the following consequential agreement were the outcome of the discussion;
“For COMESS wage structure Grade level 7 gets 23 percent, Salary grade level 8 gets 20 percent, Salary grade level 9 gets 19 percent, Salary grade level 10 to 14 gets 16 percent while Salary grade level 15 to 17 gets 14 percent.
“For those on the second category of wages structure, CONHES, CONRRISE, CONTISS, Level 7 gets 22.2 percent, Level 8 to 14 gets 16 percent, Level 15 to 17 gets 10.5 percent.
Mr Ngige stated that the military and paramilitary officers who make up the third category of the country’s wage structure were also factored in in the agreement but will remained confidential.
“Since they are not in the civil service, theirs will be communicated through the appropriate channels. Their percentages of increase are confidential,” he said, adding that he expects the adjustments to be implemented without delay.
