The controversy over the new N30,000 minimum wage has continued as the Federal Government and the Labour Union have again failed to agree on issues concerning the consequential adjustment after a meeting between both sides on Monday.
President Buhari signed the N30,000 minimum wage into law on April 18, 2019, and the payment was supposed to start from that date. But six months down the line, the payment has not started as controversy over the matter still lingers.
Our correpondent gathered that at the Monday’s meeting chaired by the Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-ita, both the Nigerian government and the labour teams of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council only made minor adjustment to their earlier positions.
The Government was said to have decided to step up from 9.5 percent to 11 percent for grade levels seven to 14 and 6.5 percent from 5.5 percent for levels 15 to 17 just as the Chairman of the labour team, Simon Anchaver reportedly said that workers stepped down to 29 from 30 percent for grade levels 7 to 14 and 24 from 25 percent for levels 15 to 17.
Anchaver said labour negotiating team has also decided to write to the Nigeria Labour congress, NLC and the trade union congress, TUC on their advice to consider an industrial action to press home their demands.
He accused the government of foot dragging on the matter and warned that workers may be forced to embark on industrial action, since they are already engulfed in fear and agitations whether their accumulated arrears will be paid when talks are finally concluded.
He said just like the last inconclusive meeting, the two positions at the end of today’s talks are to be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari for further actions.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja
