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Minimum Wage: Unions Begin Negotiations With State Govts, Today
The labour unions in Nigeria would formally write state governments, today, and ask them to begin negotiation on the consequential adjustments arising from the new minimum wage.
The unions said this, yesterday in Abuja at the end of a meeting between the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (NJPSNC) and the states’ joint councils.
They also said the percentages in the agreement they had with the Federal Government would be the minimum they would accept from any state.
Under their agreement with the Federal Government, workers in the COMESS wage structure on salary grade level 7 got 23 per cent increment, grade level 8 got 20 per cent, grade level 9 got 19 per cent, grade level 10 -14 got 16 per cent while grade level 15-17 got 14 per cent.
For those on the second category of wages structures, CONHES, CONRRISE, CONTISS etc, Level 7 got 22.2 per cent, Level 8-14 got 16 per cent, while Level 15-17 got 10.5 per cent.
The Secretary of the unions’ Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Alade Lawal, said the national leaders handed three documents over to the state negotiating council chairmen.
“The first one is the agreement we signed with the Federal Government on the consequential adjustment. We have decided to develop a table on consolidated public salary structure and the consolidated health sector salary arrangement.”
He said the documents were given to state negotiating council chairmen as a guide in their own negotiations in their states.
“The document will not hinder their negotiation with state governments.
It is for the personal use of our members in the states, we are not forwarding it to the state governments,” he said.
“We are hopeful that by December 31, all negotiations should be wrapped up. In areas where we have difficulties, we have decided to move in as a group to shut down the space towards ensuring that implementation is done.”
According to Lawal, the agreement of the unions with the Federal Government was the minimum for the states.
“There are some states that have low salary structure; they have to discuss something higher than what we had with the Federal Government.
“It depends on the peculiarity of the states. If you say 23.2 per cent increase for a level 7 officer in the federal civil service, it boils down to about N15,000. But if you apply the same percentage for workers on the same level in some states’ civil service, it translates to about N4,000. In that case, you have to be able to negotiate a higher percentage to be able to get something close to N15,000 we are talking about in this case and that is where the negotiation comes in,” he said.
“That is why we don’t want to give a blanket statement on what to do. With the discussion we have with the state officers, they know what to do,” he said.
“We also shared with the state council chairmen our experiences, the intrigues to be involved, the blackmail, and the need for them to be honest and resilient. I want to believe that they are well guided on the process,” he said.
Also speaking, the national leader of the negotiation, Anchaver Simon, said the unions had given state governors December 31 as the deadline for implementation of the new minimum wage consequential adjustment.
He said any governor who does not want to pay should be impeached.
“Any governor that is saying he will not pay; I think that governor stands to be impeached.
“We have a benchmark, we have a template, this particular agreement will be taken to the states for implementation.
“For Kaduna State, levels 15 to 17 were not captured. The issue of Kaduna, the governor has been a controversial governor. The so-called implementation of the minimum wage in Kaduna will be revisited, we’ll be sending a national officer to the state, and they should go along with other states.”
Speaking with newsmen, the Kano State Joint Negotiation Committee, Hashim Saleh, said there was no problem from level 1 to 6.
“However, they have not paid yet until we finish the consequential adjustment.
“We wrote to the state government for proper implementation, the government is looking at it now and there is (in place) all necessary machinery from the government side and the labour side for the possibility of implementing the agreement,” he said.
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum Chairman, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, had said the agreement between the Federal Government and organised labour on the consequential adjustments was not binding on state governments.
Fayemi said while the state governments had accepted the N30,000 baseline, each will negotiate with its workers on the implementation and the consequential adjustments.
The governor assured that there would be consequential adjustments but that would be determined on a state by state basis.
He said the agreement and directive between the government and labour leaders only applies to federal workers.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the new minimum wage bill into law on April 18.
But its implementation has been stalled over salary adjustments and disagreement between the labour unions and government representatives.
Specifically, the problem centred on the issue of relativity and consequential adjustments of salaries for various categories of workers.
The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, has teamed up with a renowned hospital group in Port Harcourt, the Meridian Hospitals, which is in partnership with the Pilgrims Health Foundation, to carry out a one-day medical outreach last Tuesday.
The free treatment scheme took place at Oromenike Government Girls Secondary School in D-Line, Port Harcourt, with over 100 persons accessing free treatments, including free eye-glasses and booking for eye surgeries.
Other areas of treatment included general health consultations and treatment; blood pressure and sugar level testing; malaria testing and treatment; free prescriptions; preventive health talks focusing on hygiene, maternal health, and nutrition.
The scheme was conducted under the theme: ‘Bringing Healthcare to the Community.’
Newsmen who visited the venue of the scheme found that enthusiastic beneficiaries had thronged the area as early as 7a.m. After setting up, the medical team began attending to the patients.
Mr. Jerry Onwuso, a 63-year-old patient, who was first to see eye doctors and got eye glasses and drugs, told newsmen that he was pleased with the medical intervention.
He made it clear he did not pay any money to get all the treatments and glasses, and pleaded that the scheme be sustained.
Another patient, Loveth Sam, expressed satisfaction with the scheme and appealed to the sponsors to continue to increase the benefits.
Throwing some light on the scheme, Mr. China said he worked in Meridian Hospitals as a Lab. Scientist 19 years ago, but resigned because he could not bear to see patients struggling for life because they had no money to pay for treatment.
He said he came back to help extend free medical treatment to the less privileged.
Sources said China was always having issues with the hospital authorities when he would insist on critical patients being allowed to be treated first, with or without money.
Years later, China, who now goes by a brand name, the Mayor of Housing, returned to the Meridian Hospital headquarters to support free medical scheme.
He also went the next day to the headquarters of Meridian, after the one-day medical outreach, to give cash gifts and palliatives to workers he met when he worked there but had remained in service since he left.
He encouraged them to continue to give their all to humanity through the hospital. The Mayor of Housing called most of them by name and a cloud of emotions descended on them during the reunion.
Appreciating the gesture, the Founder and Chief Medical Director, Dr. Iyke Odo, said China had always manifested hard-work, ambition, and impulsive giving.
According to him, the then young bright boy was full of humanity, kindness, love, and made friends easily, adding that “not everybody that gives is a giver. The difference is that givers are given to give.”
Dr. Odo used the opportunity to call on governments to review Nigeria’s health insurance system and make it work in Nigeria to save lives.
He said it was sad watching critically sick persons abandoned because they did not have money for treatment.
He also condemned harsh tax and electricity tariffs whereby facilities like his now pay N12 million instead of N500,000 few years back.
He wondered why hospitals were being made to pay tariffs like oil companies, citing many other countries where medical facilities were placed on low rates and tariffs so they could charge moderate fees from patients.
The Renewed Hope Initiative in conjunction with the Rivers State Government has empowered 500 elderly citizens in Rivers State with financial support of N200,000 each.
The empowerment programme was part of activities to celebrate the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme RHIESS, a social investment policy initiated by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the event which held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, recently, under the theme, ‘Finding Joy in Old Age,’ Senator Tinubu said the gesture which has become traditional since 2023 was a mark of gratitude in recognition of the invaluable contributions of the senior citizens to nation building.
The First Lady who was represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Valerie Fubara, said the scheme was to “support two hundred and fifty (250) vulnerable elderly citizens aged 65 and above in all the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, and veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) totalling 9,500 selected beneficiaries across the nation.
She urged the beneficiaries to engage in activities that will make them find joy in old age.
“I encourage you to continue playing your part by staying healthy and active, nurture both your body and mind through regular exercise and meaningful engagement,” Senator Tinubu advised.
On her part, Lady Fubara said the State Government through the magnanimity of the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has increased the beneficiaries of the programme from 250 to 500.
She restated the commitment of the State Government towards provision of social welfare and improving the standard of living of the elderly in the State.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr Vetty Agala, said the State Government has through the Health4allrivers Initiative, introduced free medical care for senior citizens in the State, in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative.
