Goodluck Ofobruku, the chairman of the Delta State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Wednesday morning, told BusinessDay in Asaba, that they were still waiting on the template from the federal government on the implementation of the N70,000 new minimum wage.
“We are still waiting for the template from the Federal Government. The consequential adjustments for salaries grade level 2 and above are not yet out. Even the Federal Government has not implemented it”, said the chairman, in a WhatsApp message to this reporter.
Delta State Government is eager to implement the N70,000 minimum wage but labour advised that they should wait for the template from the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, Ofobruku said.
It would be recalled that Delta State Government had last week, announced the setting up of a committee to commence talks with the organized labour on the implementation of the new minimum wage that was recently approved by the FG.
Read also: Nigeria’s minimum wage increase: A step forward, but challenges remain
According to Ifeanyi Osuoza, the commissioner for information, the talks between the government and organized labour would revolve around the consequential adjustments of the new wage.
He disclosed that the state government had no intention to pay its workers less than N70,000 minimum wage.
A few days later, Ofobruku told journalists in the state that he and his colleagues under the Trade Union Congress (TUC) met with the state government officials to discuss the matter.
According to him, the implementation should only begin after receiving the template and consequential adjustment details from the FG.
He said the delay would be in the interest of the workers.
He said that despite the approval of the new minimum wage, the labour union was yet to receive the enabling circular and the official commencement date from the federal government.
The previous ₦30,000 minimum wage expired on April 19, 2024, with the new wage expected to take effect from May 1, 2024, he said.
Without the necessary federal directive, the Delta NLC however urged the state government to hold off on implementation to ensure the proper process is followed, he explained.
Read also: The Failure of Minimum Wage Hikes: An Analysis for Public Policymakers
Ofobruku reassured workers that the funds for the new minimum wage have already been budgeted, and arrears would be paid once the circular is received.
“We asked the government to step down the issue of the new minimum wage until we see the template.
“As we speak, we’ve been informed that the salary adjustments for levels 1 to 5 are ready, while levels 6 and above will be finalized in about two weeks.
“However, some of us objected to this phased approach because there has never been a time where implementation starts with the junior cadre first.
“If we start with the junior staff, it could lead to discrepancies where a Level 1 Step 1 worker earns ₦70,000, while a Level 5 worker earns ₦100,000, and a Level 8 officer earns less than ₦80,000. This could cause demotivation among workers,” Ofobruku.”, he explained.
He assured workers that the NLC is working tirelessly to ensure arrears are paid even as he urged them to remain patient.
“Workers should not be afraid or troubled because we are working round the clock to get arrears for workers. They should just believe in us as they believe in God,” he added.
