Buhari Orders Immediate Payment Of New Minimum Wage …We’ve No Plans For Strike -NLC

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate implementation of the N30,000 new national wage for Federal Public Service workers currently earning below the minimum wage.
The Chairman, National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Chief Richard Egbule said this while addressing a news conference on the implementation of the new national minimum wage yesterday in Abuja.
He said that the commencement of the approved payment would be determined by the office of the Accountant-General and backdated to when the President signed the agreement.
According to Egbule, the approval takes effect from April 18, 2018 and will affect the salary of government agencies under five salary structures.
This includes the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure, CONPSS, Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS and the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure, CONRAISS.
Also, the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure, CONTISS II and Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure, CONTEDISS would be affected.
“The negotiations between the Federal Government and the joint National Public Service Negotiating Council on the consequential adjustment arising from the new minimum wage for officers who earn above N30,000 would continue.
“The outcome of such negotiations will be implemented with effect from the date an agreement is reached,” he said.
Egbule assured the public that the Federal Government was totally committed to the implementation of the new minimum wage as agreed with key stakeholders.
He said that any enquiry relating to the implementation of the new minimum wage should be directed to the commission.
Meanwhile, contrary to speculation that the organised Labour has threatened to embark on strike over the delay in the implementation of the new minimum wage, President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba has said that the congress has not issued any strike notice.
The NLC President rather said that discussion over the implementation of the minimum wage and the consequential adjustment was going on smoothly.
This is as Wabba has commended President Muhamadu Buhari for signing the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, AfCFTA, after extensive consultations.
Reacting to the alleged threat by the organised labour to embark on strike over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage, Wabba said, “Our own case is going on well. We met with our unions yesterday (Monday). The difference right now is about the consequential increase and we hope that through a normal process of dialogue, we will be able to seek that out.
“As an organised body, I am not sure we have given any notice to that effect (strike). If we reach a point of issuing threats, we will do that without hesitation.
“But I have seen many information on the social media. We are a credible organisation and we should be able to speak for ourselves.
“If we get to that point, we will be able to inform you. But for now, the process is going on and we have been able to expand the scope of dialogue to include NLC/TUC and only limited to the unions in the public sector”.