…Oyo, Osun, Plateau yet to conclude on mode

…NLC President Ajaero: issue of arrears yet to be sorted out

Some of the 36 states appear to be running against time as the October 31,2024 agreed date for them to begin the payment of the N70,000 minimum wage approaches.

Although many of the states have concluded talks with organised labour on the amount they will pay, the rest are yet to finalise the procedure.

And there is also the issue of arrears of the new wage waiting to be sorted out between labour and government at both state and federal levels, The Nation gathered yesterday.

The highest minimum wage so far of N85000 will be paid by Lagos and Rivers states, while Delta will be paying N77500 and Ogun –N77000.

The rest are: Ondo –N73000; Kogi – N72500; Gombe – N71500; and Edo, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Kwara, Anambra, Adamawa and Kano –N70000.

Bauchi, Cross River, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Osun, Abia, Enugu, Plateau and Imo states are still working out the modalities of the new deal.

The latest state to announce its decision on the new minimum wage is Kwara whose Finance Commissioner, Hauwa Nuru, said yesterday that the new salary regime would be implemented across the state public service from this month.

Dr. Nuru said in a statement in Ilorin that an agreement to this effect was reached during a tripartite meeting of government representatives, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) representing the organised private sector.

Dr. Nuru, who is the co-chairman of the minimum wage committee, expressed appreciation to Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq for giving the committee a free hand to reach a consensus that benefits all parties involved.

The template also covers workers in the 16 local government areas of the state, she said.

No figure yet in Abia but payment begins this month

The Abia State government has not disclosed yet how much it is willing to pay as minimum wage,but says workers should expect to go home with the new wage from the end of this month.

Information Commissioner, Okey Kanu, only said “all categories of workers in the state” would benefit.

However, the local chairman of the NLC, Comrade Okoro Ogbonnaya, says the leadership of the workers’ union would not accept anything less than the N70,000 approved by the federal government.

He said organised labour was still discussing the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage.

“Between now and the end of October, by His grace, we will finish the negotiation and everything will fall in place,” he said.

Continuing, he said: “As we speak, we are just coming back from the NLC leadership training concerning the ₦70,000 minimum wage and the negotiation process.

“Any moment from now, we will write government officially for us to discuss the consequential adjustments that will come up with a veritable outcome.

“The ₦70,000 is the beginning; level 1 step 1. Other agreement or negotiation on consequential adjustment will follow.

Asked what action organized labour would take in the event of the state government falling short of the ₦70,000 minimum wage, Ogbonnaya said: “we don’t need to deliberate on that.”

He said: “The Commissioner said that the state government will pay ₦70,000 minimum wage by the end of October.

“The payment of ₦70,000 starts with level 1 step 1. Level 1 step 1 cannot earn the same thing as level 8 or 13. By the end of this October, like the governor has just said, the payment of the new minimum wage will start.”

Kano’ll pay N70,000, says Commissioner

The Kano State government seems to be still taking its time in deciding on the template for the new wage structure.

Information Commissioner, Baba Dantiye, told The Nation in Kano that the government had agreed to pay the #70,000 minimum wage but was taking a critical look at the template to enable it take a position that would be beneficial to all sides.

“Kano will come up with a position and when to start paying,” Dantiye said.

Benue Committee to turn in report soon

The technical committee on the minimum wage set up by Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia will soon submit its report, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kulas Tersoo said in Makurdi when asked about the new structure.

The Committee is headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Deborah Abel.

Tersoo said the governor “upon assumption of office willingly increased the salary of workers and he is ready to do more for them.”

We’re making progress in Imo – Gov’s SA

Governor Hope Uzodimma’s Special Adviser on Labour,Austin Chilakpu, said the state would not lag behind in the implementation of the new minimum wage.

He said government has already met with organised labour on the issue following which a committee was set up to work on the domestication of the new minimum wage.

Chilakpu said: “During the meeting, the governor pledged to pay the new minimum wage. However, the labour union requested a committee to finalise the arrangements, which has caused a brief delay.

“We have agreed to implement whatever we agree upon with the labour unions. We are not lagging behind.

“The governor’s proactive approach to resolving the minimum wage issue has been commendable, especially since he initiated the meeting without external pressure.”

Oyo awaiting committee’s recommendation

Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Special Adviser (Media) to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said in Ibadan that the government has agreed in principle to pay N70,000 as minimum wage and it is only waiting for the report of the technical committee it set up on the consequential adjustment to submit its report.

He said implementation would commence as soon as government got the report.

Dr Olanrewaju said “The Governor has promised that the state will pay the minimum wage. The issue is the matter of consequential adjustment.

“Currently, there is a committee in place looking at the adjustment. As soon as the committee completes its assignment, payment will start.”

We have not commenced negotiations in Kaduna – NLC Chair

The situation in Kaduna State is a bit different as the local chairman of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman, said negotiation for the new minimum wage has not started.

He said this was because of the delay in releasing the template by the National Salary and Wages Commission.

He, however, said it was only a few days ago that labour notified Governor Uba Sani of the availability of the template.

The governor, according to him, has since responded by setting up a committee on the matter.

The NLC Chairman said the negotiation committee is expected to be inaugurated this week to pave the way for negotiation to commence.

Nasarawa gov, Labour agree on promotion, not minimum wage

The implementation of the new minimum wage in Nasarawa may have to wait for some time more after the local chapter of the NLC favoured the clearing of the backlog of promotions for workers.

Governor Abdullahi Sule who had previously announced the decision of his administration to pay the new minimum wage conceded to the labour demand for promotion.

The labour unions during negotiation with the governor recently prevailed on him to suspend the implementation of the new minimum wage and settle outstanding promotions first.

The governor agreed to implement the promotion of workers from 2019 to 2023.

He said: “I am much more aware, more than two months ago, that we have agreed about promotion between 2019 to date, that is from 2019-2023. The idea was to address promotion for the last four years 2019 to 2023 so that we will be up to date. We will not fall into the same problem that we had, which I inherited, where workers were not promoted for over eight years.

“What I told you then was that we were waiting for what would be the impact of the minimum wage. If the impact of the minimum wage comes to us as, say, N800m a month, if you put together this N200m, it is about one billion. The state cannot pay. The state does not have the capacity to pay.”

He explained that even though federation allocation to the state has improved following the removal of oil subsidy, costs of materials have also appreciated such that even with the improved allocation, Nasarawa State will still not be able to implement both the promotion of workers and new minimum wage at the same time.

“A contract of N3bn before is now N8bn. Costs of materials have changed. Even the cost of security has changed. That is the reality. I am not hiding anything from you, my books are open. Whatever you need to know, ask, we will give it to you.

Governor Sule, however, reminded the unions that even the former N30, 000 minimum wage template by the Federal Government was not fully implemented in the state.

The Nasarawa State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ismaila Ayuba Oko, told journalists that the union listed two demands before the governor, the implementation of promotion of workers and then waiting for the release of table of salaries for the new minimum wage.

“Let us be on the same page and get it clear. We also sat at our level and took far reaching decisions. First, we want our promotion implemented,” he said

A’Ibom govt, Labour yet to agree

Akwa Ibom state government and organised labour are yet to agree on minimum wage for workers in the state.

State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Sunny James told The Nation in Uyo yesterday that negotiation was still in progress with government.

But he said labour would not settle for anything less than N70,000.

His words: “NLC and other labour unions are still engaging with the state government to agree on specific figures. We don’t want to rush into announcing figures because we are still doing our calculations.

“I can say that the state government will make a pronouncement in a week’s time. Workers will not accept anything less than N70,000. That is not even a problem because the state government might pay higher than N70,000.

“What labour is concerned about is the consequential adjustments for the new minimum wage to reflect on all grade levels, especially senior civil servants,” he said.

Osun govt about to conclude decision, Plateau silent

Osun State Information Commissioner, Kolapo Alimi, says the state government is fully in support of the minimum wage and will implement it as soon as possible.

“The Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee set up by Governor Ademola Adeleke will soon complete its assignment for necessary approval; they have been working assiduously to conclude the assignment without hitch,” he told The Nation in Osogbo.

“They are mandated to come up with recommendations to the government on the consequential adjustments arising from the minimum wage law.”

The commissioner said the new minimum wage is a law that must be respected by everybody including public and private entities.

The Plateau State Government is yet to make any pronouncement on its position on minimum wage for civil servants.

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki announced way back in April that the state would pay N70,000 as minimum wage.

NLC President Ajaero: issue of arrears yet to be sorted out

Reviewing the minimum wage issue last night in a chat with The Nation, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, confirmed that the agreement reached between government and labour was that delay in the payment of the new minimum wage should not go beyond this month.

But he said since the law on the new dispensation took effect from July, workers are entitled to arrears.

Talks on the payment of the arrears may be subjects of discussion between labour and government in due course.

Told about the suspension of the new minimum wage in Nasarawa in favour of clearing of accumulated promotions, Ajaero said no state has a right to do that as the minimum wage issue is a matter of law that cannot be violated by any party.

The Nation