Minimum wage: Federal government, labour shift ground, negotiations continue today
http://www.hrlnews.com/2019/10/minimum-wage-federal-government-labour.html
The meeting between the organised labour and representatives of the
Federal Government has been moved till Wednesday, Oct. 16, to allow for
sorting out of all grey areas of contention.
A top Labour Official, who pleaded anonymity, hinted that the
organised labour had shifted its earlier position from 29 per cent to 25
per cent for grade levels seven to 14, while for levels 15 to 17 now 20
per cent, which was earlier 24 per cent.
The Federal Government has made its earlier position to shift from
levels seven to nine to 17 per cent and levels 10 to 14 at 15 per cent.
It also shifted that of levels 15 to 17 to 12 per cent.
Newsmen recall that the organised labour is demanding 29 per cent
salary increase for officers on salary levels 07 to 14 and 24 per cent
adjustment for officers on salary grade levels 15 to 17 .
But the Federal Government had presented a proposal of 11 per cent
salary increase for officers on grade levels 07 to 14 and 6.5 per cent
adjustment for workers of grade levels 15 to 17.
At a meeting in Abuja, the Head of Service, Mrs Folashade Yemi-Esan,
expressed hope that the meeting would get to a logical conclusion when
it reconvenes on Wednesday.
“Today, the Labour side has discovered that there is just one side on
the welfare of workers, we have worked very well together today.
“Both sides have made a lot of contentions, but we discovered that there are some grey areas that need to be ironed out.
“Some documents and information are being sourced that they are
providing, by the grace of God tomorrow, discussion will continue and we
believe that we will be able to get everything resolved.”
Speaking the end of the meeting, Deputy President of NLC, Comrade
Amaechi Asugwuni, who spoke on behalf of the organised Labour, urged to
the Federal Government to shift grounds for agitation ahead.
According to him, the matter is a straight forward matter,
negotiations is ongoing we actually thought the meeting will be
concluded today but that prediction was not successful, therefore,
adjournment became necessary.
” To the best of our knowledge, the struggle will still continue,
tommorow, we will meet by 2p.m, and that meeting will determine the fate
of the parties, we expect that we close that meeting positively.
“So far, commitment has been shown, but we believe that the areas
that are still in contest are critical, therefore, we urge the
government also on their part see how they can shift ground positively
to integrate the agitations ahead.”
Those at the meeting include: the NLC General Secretary, Comrade Emma
Ugboaja, Musa Lawal Ozigi of the TUC, Nuhu Toro (TUC) Lawal Alade
Bashir as well as Comrade Musa Abbas while in attendance at the meeting
with the Joint National.
Others are: Director General of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze,
Acting Chairman of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission,
Ekpo Nta.
Labour had resorted to the strike option, from Oct. 17, following an
apparent inability of the government and labour to find a way out of the
minimum wage logjam.
The minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said there is
the need for organised labour to set the records straight to workers to
understand that current economic realities may not accommodate
percentage increase on the minimum wage.
According to him, continued threat of strike action
from the organised labour was an intimidation of government and
antithetical to the International Labour Organisation principles on
negotiations and Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“I will also not seat and watch labour intimidate government. If you
dangle strike, it is intimidation and ILO Convention does not permit it.
“People should negotiate freely. If government threatens you in the course of negotiation, it is intimidation.
“We cannot allow government to shut down the economy because it wants to pay salaries and wages.
“The 2020 budget of N10.3trillion has N3.8trillion as personnel cost without overhead.
“If you add running cost and other incidental costs, the total
recurrent budget as presented to the National Assembly has taken 76 per
cent. Where do we get the money to build roads, airport, rails, health
centres, schools etc.
“It is a matter of balancing a budget that is 76 per cent recurrent
and 24 per cent capital, for me, it is nothing to cheer about.
“In the 76 per cent, government has captured N200 billion for
consequential adjustment for the minimum wage and so on. These are all
part of personnel.
“N160 billion is for consequential adjustment of the minimum wage and
not total package of workers’ salaries. Everybody has to make
sacrifice. We must plug leakages.”
He stressed the need for all workers to be incorporated into the
Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to reduce ghost
workers in the public service.
According to him, the ghost workers should go and we should know who
the real workers are. As of today, we have 1.3 million persons in the
federal civil service and maybe it will be more by the time we finish
bringing everybody to IPPIS.
“The number of workers, 1.4 million or 1.5 million out of 200 million
people take 33 per cent of the budget which has deficit. It is
important we know this. It is up to us to use all the money to pay
salaries and the economy will grind to a halt and be like Venezuela.”
It will be recalled that the United Labour Congress (ULC), pulled out
of the planned nationwide strike scheduled to commence on Wednesday
over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage by the governments.
The ULC president, Mr Joe Ajaero, stated that the group will not be
part of an exercise designed to hoodwink Nigerian workers and masses
into believing that their interests are being championed.
“Unfortunately, this strike will not have the desired impact and
would not achieve the intentions Nigerian workers would want as it is
seemingly; dead on arrival as programmed by the hidden interests of
those pushing the agenda.
“ULC will not therefore be part of an exercise designed to hoodwink
Nigerian workers and masses into believing that their interests were
being championed while the contrary may be the case.
“We will neither be part of this ruse nor partake in a complete
jamboree that makes a mockery of the genuine struggle by Nigerian
workers to begin to enjoy the new national minimum wage.
“Once again, we want to state that we will not be part of this
attempt to whittle down the capacity of Nigerian workers and masses to
earn the new minimum wage.
“It is a planned sabotage of our collective will and desire to see a
new minimum wage and we shall not be part of it,” Ajaero said.
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