The Akwa Ibom government and the organised labour may clash over the payment of the N70,000 minimum wage recently approved by the national assembly and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.
This follows the delay to initiate moves towards the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Sunny James, chairman of the state wing of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) said in interview there has been no discussion with the state government adding that workers would accept nothing less than the N700,000 as approved.
“There’s no way we can collect anything less than N70,000 as the new minimum wage. We will not accept that. The governor has not also said that he will not pay”, he said
According to him, “We have not started anything on the new minimum wage in Akwa Ibom and my reason is very simple.
“When there’s new minimum wage legislation, the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) in conjunction with the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) will have to meet and agree on consequential adjustment.
“We have N70,000 new minimum wage, so there has to be consequential adjustment to make the salary table to flow in a seamless manner. If you apply the 133 percentage uniformly, salaries of those on Level 14, and 15 will be very high.”
Reacting to complaints by some state governors that they would not be able to pay N70,000 as new minimum wage, James however expressed the optimism that the Organized Labour and state the government would eventually settle for the signed national minimum wage Law for Akwa Ibom workers.
“Akwa Ibom State governor will not complain that he cannot pay N70,000,” he said l.
Similarly, Effiong Essien, the Head of Civil Service, said discussions would commence as soon as the circular on the consequential adjustment was released by the federal government.
“The state government is still waiting for the circular on the new minimum wage. You know it has a process. After the legislation the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission has to release a circular with consequential benefits.
Read also: Ondo to implement N70,000 minimum wage for workers
“So when the states receive that circular that is when the states will also prepare in house towards implementation of the new minimum wage”
Asked if Akwa Ibom would pay the N70,000 minimum wage, Essien stressed that the directive would come from the governor.
Recall that the state governor while addressing the workers on May 1, 2024 had asserted that feedback from the Federal Government would guide the state on the new minimum wage implementation.
Meanwhile, Governor Umo Eno, has called indigenes in the diaspora to demonstrate their love for motherland by deploying their skills and resources towards boosting the development of the State.
Eno made the call while addressing the 2024 Convention of the Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria (AKISAN, USA), at Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
While commending the institutionalized unity among Akwa Ibom people across the fifty states of America and their promotion of the rich cultural heritage of their motherland, he thanked the AKISAN under the leadership of Mr. Itoro Akpan Iquot for its interest in the affairs of their home state, especially for their support towards the success of his election as governor.
He also felicitated Ukeme Awakessien-Jeter, on her emergence as Mayor of the Upper Arlington City in Ohio, being the first person of colour to be so elected in over a hundred years, describing her as a proud daughter of Nsit Ibom, Akwa Ibom State.
He expressed the sentiments of the government and people of the state in celebrating with them and solicited the cooperation and collaboration of AKISAN to galvanize the people into believing in Akwa Ibom as an exceptional State, governed by an array of exceptional leaders who have left indelible marks in the State.
He assured everyone that his government would further position the State as one of the most peaceful, most enterprising and most growth-driven subnational in Nigeria.
The Governor urged Akwa Ibom indigenes to maintain their honour as good ambassadors of the state by joining hands with the government at home to pursue the actualization of the ARISE Agenda which he said , is sure to grow the State and benefit its people.
“It is always heartening to see the love that you all radiate, the deep affinity and passion you show towards our cultural heritage and the intentional manner you have launched and introduced your children to the strands of this rich cultural tapestry is heart warming.
“I see unity here in full display as our people come together from the forty-eight contiguous states and even from Alaska and Hawaii to celebrate our culture and wear our identity as badges of honour and pride.
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