The organised Labour and the Federal Government are on a collision course over the government’s nonpayment of N35, 000 wage awards to workers.
The Nigerian workers have noted that the Federal Government palliative of N35, 000 monthly for a period of 6-months to cushion the effects of the removal of petroleum subsidy in the country was only paid for September, 2023.
Federal Government in a memo signed by the Chairman, National Salaries Wages and Income Commission, Ekpo Nta, stated that the payment of the wage award would begin to take effect from September 1, 2023. However findings indicate that the government only paid the wage award for September, 2023.
Meanwhile, the Spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, noted that plans were ongoing to ensure that civil servants receive their wage awards.
“The process is ongoing. They will be paid. The process to pay the wage awards has commenced.”
The Head of Information at the Nigeria Labour Congress, Benson Upah, in an interview said, “This betrays the government’s dishonorable intentions and is completely unacceptable and the Congress will do something about this but what will be done depend on the appropriate organs of the Congress.”
Upah stated that the Congress would kick against any form of imposition of a new minimum wage by the Federal Government, because negotiations had yet to commence, but he expressed optimism that talks on the new minimum wage would start soon.
Upah said, “The national minimum wage law is a product of collective negotiation by all the critical stakeholders, workers, employers (plus private sector), and government and cannot be fixed by fiat by any stakeholder.”
“Thus, any unilateral action by any party will not only be presumptuous but contemptuous and injurious to other parties and will certainly be at variance with the law and principles governing this variant of minimum wage setting procedure.”
