30,000 minimum wage: Oyo govt, labour unions meet

REPRESENTATIVES of the Oyo state government, Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Monday, met over the implementation of the new minimum wage of N30,000 in the State, resolving to await the transmission of the new minimum wage scale from the Head of Service of the Federation for effective implementation.

At the meeting held at state Secretariat, Ibadan, the government team led by the Secretary to the state government, Mr Olalekan Alli, expressed positivity about the implementation of the new wage in the state, but that it only awaited a formal, enabling directive from the Head of Service of the federation to proceed.

Monday’s meeting was in yielding to an April 24, 2018 letter by the state council of the NLC/TUC/JNC requesting a meeting with the state government on the implementation of the new national minimum wage in Oyo State, while urging the state government to put all necessary machinery into action for immediate implementation of the new national minimum wage in the state with effect from April 2019 salary.

Also on the government’s team were the Head of Service, Mrs Olawumi Ogunesan; Commissioner for Finance, Mr Bimbo Adekanmbi; Executive Assistant to the Governor on Administration, Mr Soji Eniade; Permanent secretary service matters and Accountant General.

ALSO READ: 2023: Tinubu allies demand Plan B •Why his associates are handling Buhari’s petition

The labour team was led by state NLC Chairman, Mr Bayo Titilola-Sodo; TUC Chairman, also JNC Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Ogundiran. Speaking after the meeting, both Ogundiran and Titilola-Sodo said the labour unions urged the state government to regularly keep in touch with the federal government for the enabling directive so that the state is among the first to implement the new minimum wage.

They, however, said their prayer at the meeting was for the implementation of the new minimum wage across all level of workers in the public and civil service, not one where only junior workers, and not senior workers, benefit.

This is as they did not rule out the implementation of the new minimum wage commencing with April salary.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State has countered calls that the outgoing administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi should leave negotiation over the new minimum wage to the incoming administration of governor-elect, Mr Seyi Makinde.

In a statement by its publicity secretary, Dr Abdulazeez Olatunde, the party argued that the labour movement called for the meeting over the new minimum wage and that it will only be irresponsible for the state government to turn down the request of its workforce.

Olatunde held that the Ajimobi administration was still in power and had the right to open discussion with the leadership of the union.