Minimum wage: FG inaugurates committee on negotiation of salary adjustment

THE Federal Government has inaugurated committee headed by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Winifred Oyo-Ita, to negotiate the consequential adjustment in salaries arising from the approved new National Minimum Wage.

He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari recently further demonstrate his unwavering commitments to the welfare of all Nigerian workers, by signing into law, the new National Minimum Wage bill which recommended N30,000.

Speaking while inaugurating the committee on Tuesday in Abuja said the duration of the assignment was four clear weeks from the day of inauguration.

While urging members of the committee to work assiduously to complete the assignment, Mustapha, told them to amicably consider the issue of relativity and consequential adjustment with thoroughness, bearing in mind the welfare of the nation’s workforce vis-à-vis the current economic reality.

He said: “It is important to reiterate the President’s remarks at the signing of the new National Minimum Wage Act, 2019 that the signing of the Act would pave way for the constitution of another Committee to negotiate the issue of relativity/consequential adjustment arising from the new National Minimum Wage of N30,000.00 (Thirty Thousand Naira) only, with the relevant Labour Unions.

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“The purpose of this gathering is therefore to achieve that objective.

“Government has carefully appointed members of the Committee under the Chairmanship of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as Alternate Chair,” he said.

Other members from the side of government include; Ministers of Labour & Employment, Finance, Budget & National Planning, Minister of Health, Minister of Education, and Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of Justice.

Others include; Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Secretary, Federal Judicial Service Commission, Secretary, National Assembly Service Commission, and Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes & Wages Commission who is to serve as member/secretary.

He added that on the side of the Trade Unions, ten representatives have been nominated by the Joint National Public Service Negotiation Council as members of the Committee.

SGF noted that President Buhari has from his first day in office in 2015 expressed deep interest in the welfare of workers and believes that if the Government was to succeed in its fight against corruption, the Nigerian workers must be adequately remunerated.

He said: “It is in fulfilment of Mr President’s commitment to issues concerning the welfare of Nigerian workers that he inaugurated the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage on 27th November 2017.

“The President at the inauguration of that Committee acknowledged that the Nigerian Worker, like his counterparts all over the world, remain vital to the growth and development of modern nations and underscored the need to ensure a fair and decent living wage for workers, anchored on the principle of social justice and equity.

“The Tripartite Committee no doubt was painstaking in its assignment. Members met with various Stakeholders and interest groups, visited every part of the Country, holistically considered the state of the economy and finally came up with its recommendation of N30,000.00 (Thirty Thousand Naira) only as the new National Minimum Wage.

“To further demonstrate Mr President’s unwavering commitments to the welfare of all Nigerian workers, he signed into law, the new National Minimum Wage bill which recommended N30,000.00.

“It must, therefore, be acknowledged that the outcome of the Tripartite Committee’s assignment is part of the reasons for this gathering today.

“The President, out of a sense of fiscal responsibility and in seeking to use the budget as a tool for economic development, considered it necessary to appoint a Presidential Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) to advise on revenue optimization and seamless implementation of the new wage and its consequential cost.

“I must add that Mr President emphasized to that technical advisory committee to evolve ways of sustaining the new minimum wage in a manner that would guarantee all existing jobs.

“The Committee had also completed its assignment and submitted its report,” he said.

Chairperson of the Committee, Mrs Oyo-Ita, in her response said in carrying out the important national assignment the committee as constituted would do its best to deliver on its mandate within the stipulated time frame.

She thanked the President for his commitment to prioritising the welfare of workers in his administration towards engendering productivity and sustainable service delivery in the public service.