Minimum wage: Ekiti, labour reach agreement on consequential salary adjustment

The Government of Ekiti State has signed an agreement with organised labour on the implementation of minimum wage and consequential adjustment for workers in core civil service and Local Government Service as well as Judiciary and Health workers in the state.

The implementation of the consequential adjustment commences in January 2021.

The organised labour had last week threatened to protest and shutdown government activities this week if the state government failed to commence the implementation of the consequential adjustment in January 2021.

The new development is a product of a series of meetings between labour leaders and government negotiation team as well as meetings with the state Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, at the tail end of last year.

In the new agreement which was jointly signed by the government negotiation team and labour leaders in the state on Tuesday evening, it was agreed that the salaries of officers in the civil service be adjusted.

The Head of Service, Mrs ‘Peju Babafemi, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Labour Matters, Comrade Oluyemi Esan and Permanent Secretary, Office of Establishments and Service Matters, Mr Bayo Opeyemi, signed on behalf of the government.

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The Chairman Joint Negotiating Council, Comrade Kayode Fatomiluyi, Secretary, Comrade Gbenga Olowoyo; Chairman NLC, Comrade Kolapo Olatunde, NLC Secretary, Comrade Akinyemi Taiwo; Chairman Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Sola Adegun; and Secretary, Comrade Lawrence Kulogun, signed on behalf of Labour.

In the agreement, adjustment for GL13-17 will be implemented by the government based on the recommendation of the Economic Review Committee which will comprise labour and government representatives as allocation improves, while implementation for officers on GL 07-12 will commence by January 2021.

Workers on Grade level 01 to 06 have been enjoying the new minimum wage since October 2019.

It was also agreed that government would not retrench, victimize or intimidate any worker as a result of the implementation and no labour leader would be penalized or sanctioned over roles played in the course of the negotiations.

“It was jointly signed that this agreement has brought to an end the agitation on minimum wage and consequential adjustment for officers on GL 01-12 and shall be implemented for officers on GL13 and above without prejudice,” the document stated.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE