Minimum Wage: RSG, Labour Begin Negotiations

The Rivers State Government and the Labour Unions have begun negotiations on the actual implementation of the new National Minimum Wage in the State Public Service.

The Head of Service (HOS), Mrs. Esther Anucha, made this known in her office in Port Harcourt during an interactive session she had with exco members of the state Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, last Thursday.

Mrs Anucha said with the correction of anomalies identified in the payment of the 70% salary relativity approved by the governor, the state government had started the process of issuing a state­wide salary chart for the public service.

She said an establishment circular will soon be issued on the Rivers State Salary Structure based on the 70% agreement reached between Labour and the State Government, explaining that the issuance of the circular would determine the structure upon which the implementation of the N18,000.00 minimum wage would be based in order to avoid inconsistencies experienced in the past.

The HOS expressed gratitude to the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for being proactive on the issue of the new minimum wage and the numerous welfare packages to civil servants, especially the recent provision of vehicles to substantive directors, adding that more directors would benefit in subsequent allocations.

Responding to requests by the union to disengage the services of Zenith Bank from the preparation of salaries and the issuance of payslips to workers, the Head of Service said the contract with Zenith Bank was only an interim measure, pointing out that the Ministry of Finance has started a process that would revert the function to the Ministry as well as ensure that payslips are issued to workers.

On the provision of more funds by the state government for the Car/Housing Revolving Loans Scheme for workers, Mrs. Anucha said it would not be proper to burden the state government with such request, adding that with the measures put in place to ensure recovery of loans from beneficiaries, another set of workers would benefit from the scheme before the end of the year.

She said her office had begun talks with some financial outfits on the possibility of granting soft loans to interested civil servants at very low interest rates.

Earlier, the Chairman of the State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Emecheta Chuku said they were in her office to interact with her on issues affecting workers in the state, especially the implementation of the new minimum wage.

He thanked her for her intervention in correcting the irregularities in the implementation of the 70% salary relativity agreement between the state government and labour unions in the state, the provision of vehicles to directors in the service, the resuscitation of the Car and  Housing Revolving Loan Scheme and the annual celebration of the Civil Service Week, among others.

The chairman, however, requested, among other things, that more funds be made available for the revolving loan scheme, the placement of all Directors on Grade Level 17, the issuance of payslips to workers as well as disengaging Zenith Bank from preparing salaries of workers in the State.

Prof. Okafor Richard (right) discussing with Prof Dan Agu, during the Rivers State choral competition orgainsed by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, yesterday.