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Tag: minimum wage

  • Diri approves N80,000 new minimum wage for Bayelsa workers

    Diri approves N80,000 new minimum wage for Bayelsa workers

    Gov. Douye Diri, of Bayelsa, has approved N80,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the state’s civil service with effect from November 1.

    Diri also approved an increase in the monthly pension of retired workers as well as N7 billion to reduce outstanding gratuity liabilities.

    This is contained in a statement  issued on Sunday, by Daniel Alabrah, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor.

    He said Diri acknowledged the challenging times workers face in the state due to the rise in the cost of living.

    He said  the related consequential adjustments for the various sectors, as agreed with the leadership of labour in the state, would also be implemented.

    The statement read: “to address the harsh times and in line with the National Minimum Wage (Amendment Act 2024), the Prosperity Administration of governor Douye Diri has approved the sum of N80,000 as minimum wage for the state’s workers

    “Gov. Diri also approved an increase in the monthly pension of state retirees.

    “To further ameliorate the challenges of our retired senior citizens, His Excellency also approved the payment and reduction of the outstanding gratuity liabilities by Seven Billion Naira.”

    He said the governor appreciated the workers and their leadership for their understanding, patience and commitment to the policies and programmes of the administration.

  • Gov Bago announces upgraded minimum wage for Niger civil servants

    Gov Bago announces upgraded minimum wage for Niger civil servants

    Governor Umaru Bago of Niger has announced N80,000 minimum wage for civil servants effective from November. Bago disclosed this shortly after meeting with the organised labour in the state at the Government House, Minna on Friday.

    He said the payment would be for both the state and the local government workers effective from November. Bago said the committee on the minimum wage would work on the consequential adjustments.

    He said that the N80,000 was sustainable, especially with the state’s strides in agriculture. The Governor advised civil servants to embrace agriculture, adding that civil service farms would be created to make them productive.

    Mr Idrees Lafene, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), commended the governor for approving N80,000 as minimum wage.

    He said such move was a step forward, adding that the union look forward to an improved offer. He, however, appreciated the governor for going beyond the union’s expectation, saying that the union had tabled between N70,000, N75,000 and N80,000 as minimum wage for the state.

  • Just in: NLC speaks on date workers will receive minimum wage salaries

    Just in: NLC speaks on date workers will receive minimum wage salaries

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, has said that federal civil servants will receive their full minimum wage salaries including arrears by the end of October.

    The meeting focused on addressing rising costs of transportation, essential goods, food items, and petrol prices.

    Among the key agreements reached, the federal government promised to pay all outstanding wage awards and arrears to workers.

    Additionally, discussions will be held with state governors to ensure the full implementation of the new minimum wage of N70,000 across the country starting from October.

    Ajaero reaffirmed this development during an interview with NTA, saying that the payments, including arrears, must be made by the end of the month.

    However, individual agencies and parastatals may negotiate specific payment dates.

    “The meeting we had was a meeting where we all agreed that they must pay by the end of this month, October including the Arrears.

    “However, if they so decide to negotiate with their various agencies and parastatals on the specific dates to pay, they have liberty to do that,” Ajaero said.

  • CARTOON OF THE DAY: How Governors will get money to pay new minimum wage

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: How Governors will get money to pay new minimum wage

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: How Governors will get money to pay new minimum wage

  • Kwara State approves N70,000 minimum wage

    Kwara State approves N70,000 minimum wage

    Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has approved the payment of N70,000 as the minimum wage to enhance workers’ welfare in the State.

    This decision was made public by the state’s Commissioner for Finance, Dr Hauwa Nuru, in a statement on Saturday in Ilorin.

    She said the approved wage would take effect immediately from October 2024, across the Kwara public service, including workers in the 16 Local Government Areas.

    She also said the development followed a successful tripartite meeting between government representatives, labour leaders from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), and representatives from the organised private sector.

    Nuru expressed gratitude to Gov. AbdulRazaq for granting the committee full autonomy to reach a consensus beneficial to all parties.

    She noted that the immediate implementation of the new wage underscored the governor’s proactive and worker-friendly approach, demonstrating his commitment to the welfare of public servants and citizens.

    She said that the state government prioritised the well-being of its workforce and the general populace, fostering growth and prosperity for all in Kwara.

    Nuru commended the collaborative spirit between the government and labour unions, which made the achievement possible, describing the new minimum wage as a testament to the state’s commitment to workers’ welfare.

  • Gov Fubara approves new minimum wage for Rivers workers

    Gov Fubara approves new minimum wage for Rivers workers

    Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the payment of N85,000.00 as the new minimum wage for civil servants in the employ of the Rivers State Government.

    This is the agreement reached during a closed door meeting presided over by the Governor and attended by representatives of organised labour under the auspices of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council in the State at Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday.

    Briefing newsmen after the meeting, the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, who spoke on behalf of the Government, affirmed that Governor Fubara has graciously approved a new minimum wage of N85,000.00, adding that the government will begin in November, 2024.

    Dr George said: “He (Gov Fubara) has pronounced a figure that is higher than the National Minimum Wage. He pronounced a sum of N85,000.00, which is higher than the minimum wage that was prescribed nationally.

    “So, as the Head of Service and a major stakeholder in the labour family, I am very happy to say that the Rivers State Civil Servants have never had it this good since the inception of this State.

    “The labour union leaders and all the other major stakeholders were happy with this development,” he added.

    Responding to possible payment of arrears, Dr Nwaeke, said it is yet to be determined because a technical committee has been set up to critically work out a tenable payment chart, which will cater to issues of arrears.

    He clarified, “Issues of arrears will be worked out by the committee that I am going to be Deputy to the SSG. We are already going to work on it in a technical committee that will now get the nitty gritty of the payment and inform the press later.”

    On his part, the Rivers State Chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Emecheta Chuku, explained that this is their first meeting with Governor Fubara to discuss the issue of the new minimum wage as approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

    Comrade Chuku pointed to the fact that the gracious approval of N85,000.00 new minimum wage is very appeasing to the labour leaders, addingvthat it demonstrates love for the workers.

    He explained, “For the Governor to come, against all the crisis, against all the things that he is facing and more, to say he will pay N85,000.00 minimum wage, I think our hearts are full of joy.

    “Of course, we have no doubt, knowing the kind of person we have as our Governor. He is a decent man; very responsible enough; and grew through the rank and file of the system. He understands what it takes to earn a living salary; he understands the difference between gifting money and paying somebody salary that can sustain him or her from the first day to the last day of the month.”

    Also speaking, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers State Chapter, Comrade Alex Agwanwor, noted that the amount approved by Governor Fubara puts Rivers State Government ahead of Lagos State as the highest minimum wage paying State to civil servants in Nigeria.

    He stressed, “Why do I say that? Lagos State said N85,000.00 and Rivers State is paying N85,000.00. The IGRs of Lagos State and Rivers State are not the same. So, for the Governor to agree to pay the same rate with Lagos, that means we are at the top of it.

    “We are the best, and we want to continue to commend the Governor. We assure him that, as far as this State is concerned, labour is going to stand with him. We will be with him even until the next eight years.

    “I want to commend His Excellency, Executive Governor of Rivers State, our own Number One Worker in Rivers State, he has, once again, proven that the workers in Rivers State gave him an award on May Day as the Champion of Labour, as the Most Labour-Friendly Governor in Nigeria. He, again, has shown that to us today, and I want to commend him.”

    He added that they were returning to the State Secretariat Complex to inform workers of the Governor’s magnanimity and benevolence towards civil servants in the State.

  • Lagos minimum wage: Proper negotiation yet to happen – Union

    Lagos minimum wage: Proper negotiation yet to happen – Union

    The Lagos State Public Service Joint Negotiating Council has said the announcement of N85,000 minimum wage by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was unexpected.

    The council made this known in a statement signed by all chairpersons and secretaries of the union on Thursday. They include Messrs Olusegun Balogun and Aladetan Abiodun, both representing  Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter.

    Recall that Governor Sanwo-Olu had during an interview on a television station, announced that his administration would pay workers a minimum wage of N85,000. The union said that labour learned of the N85,000 minimum wage approval through the mass media.

    “To provide context, on Monday, Oct. 16, 2024, at approximately 4.00 p.m., the union received a call inviting us to a meeting to discuss the minimum wage. As a responsible representative of the workforce, we attended the meeting.

    “However, we made it clear that formal discussions could not proceed in the absence of all relevant stakeholders. In line with best practices and in the spirit of social dialogue, we insisted that negotiations should be inclusive.

    “As a result, the meeting was adjourned to October 21, 2024 at 10.00 a.m., the public announcement of any figure was, therefore, unexpected, “ it said.

    The union said, however, that its comments did not undermine the governor’s right to make public statements on governance matters.

    It said that it was underscoring that, while Sanwo-Olu’s announcement was well-intended, the proper negotiation process had not taken place.

    “This figure was not the product of any formal discussions or negotiations with the union,“ it said.

    The union, however, said that Sanwo-Olu’s offer of N85,000 reflected an understanding that Lagos workers deserved higher wages, given the economic pressures they faced.

    The union said it was pleased to note that the governor acknowledged that wage and salary matters should be the product of negotiation.

    “This offer sets a positive tone for the upcoming negotiations, especially considering the governor’s progressive stance on exceeding the national benchmark for minimum wage.

    “We are confident that the final outcome of these negotiations will bring meaningful economic relief to our members,“ the union said.

  • Ogun workers to receive N77,000 as minimum wage

    Ogun workers to receive N77,000 as minimum wage

    Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun has approved N77, 000 as the minimum wage for the lowest worker in the state, with the payment taking immediate effect.

    This is was disclosed in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Lekan Adeniran, on Monday in Abeokuta.

    According to the statement, the decision was revealed after a meeting of the state government led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Tokunbo Talabi, and the leadership of the organised labour in the state.

    The organised labour at the meeting comprised of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC).

    Talabi said that the meeting was at the instance of the governor, who he said had directed that no worker in the state should earn less than N77,000, starting from October.

    The SSG stated that the governor meant well for the people of the state and had proactively taken steps to further ameliorate the suffering of the people.

    He added that the governor had also advised the organised private sector to take a cue from the policy, as their workers were not exempted from the economic realities in the country.

    The SSG noted that the governor had therefore advised that the private sector should dialogue with their relevant stakeholders to arrive at a commensurate minimum wage for the sector.

    “The governor promised to set up a monitoring team to see how it is implemented by the private sector to ensure no one is short-changed,” he said.

    On his part, the state NLC Chairman,  Hameed Benco, said the organised labour in the state was pleased with the governor having approved the N77,000 in consultation with union leaders.

    Benco stated that the minimum wage remained the highest in the country today, adding that the other sectorial salaries would be affected accordingly.

    He also mentioned that government had graciously approved the submission of labour that the new basic salary should not be taxed.

  • Gombe govt approves N71,500 minimum wage for workers

    Gombe govt approves N71,500 minimum wage for workers

    The Gombe State Government has approved N71,500 minimum wage for civil servants in the state effective from October.

    Mr Yusuf Aish-Bello, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Gombe State chapter, stated this shortly after signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), on the new National Minimum Wage,

    The agreement was sealed between the organised labour and the state government, on Monday in Gombe.

    Aish-Bello said that a worker on GL01/1, would be receiving N71,551 minimum pay in the state.

    “Today; we have reached an agreement on what will be paid to civil servants in the state.

    “It has been agreed that the minimum standard of paying in Gombe State will be N71,551.15 that is for Grade Level 1 step 1

    “You know the salary structure has its own intricacies, the N18,000 and N30,000 is nothing to write home about.

    “Most especially on the issue of basics that was our focus as it form what you get when you retire.

    “The highest quantum will be on the basic for our civil servants, especially for those retiring and we have achieved over 60 per cent.

    “Level one will have basic of N42,000 and this descends in consequential adjustment on the basic. The more it’s going up, the amount comes down by consequential adjustment.

    “What is left now is 40 per cent which is spread on the allowances there as minimum wage that was how we arrived at N71,551,“ he said.

    On non payment of  arrears, he said the state government implemented N10,000 palliative to the workers since September 2023, adding that the labour unions considered the gesture.

    Earlier, the state deputy governor, Mr Manassah Jatau, who is the Chairman of the Gombe State Minimum Wage Committee said the government had sealed agreement with labour union leaders.

    Jatau said the new minimum wage would be paid in October, adding the state government was committed to the welfare of its workers.

  • Minimum wage saga: Gov Namadi suspends aide

    Minimum wage saga: Gov Namadi suspends aide

    Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has suspended his Special Adviser on Salary and Pensions, Alhaji Bashir Ado, over alleged premature statement on N70,000 minimum wage.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Malam Bala Ibrahim, in Dutse, on Saturday.

    Ibrahim said the government viewed with serious concern, a statement circulating in various sections of the media alleging that the governor has approved N70,000 as new minimum wage for workers in the State.

    “This sounds embarrassing and pre-mature as the Committee headed by Head of the State Civil Service, set up by the Government to advise on the appropriate wage is yet to complete its assignment and submit report,” Ibrahim said.

    He explained that as a result of the development, the governor has approved the immediate suspension Ado, pending findings of a committee set up  under the chairmanship of the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Bello Abdulkadir.

    The SSG added that the committee, which was given two weeks to submit its report is to investigate the source, actual content of the alleged statement and the motive behind it.

    Ibrahim named Sagir Musa, Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture and Dr Abdullahi Muhammmad, Commissioner for Health and Muhammad Yahaya, Permanent Secretary Establishment and Service Matters, office of the SSG as members of the committee.