After months of disagreements, threat of strike and days of back to back meetings, the Federal Government and organized Labour have reached an agreement on the modalities for implementing the new minimum wage.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the new minimum wage of N30, 000 into law in April.
However, disagreements between government and labour over the percentage of consequential adjustments for officers from grade level 7 to 17 had stalled the implementation of the new wage.
While labour demanded 29 per cent salary increase for workers at salary grade levels 7 to 14 and 24 per cent adjustment for those at salary grade levels 15 to 17, the Federal Government offered 11 per cent increase for officers at grade level 7 to 14 and 6.5 per cent adjustment for workers at grade level 15 to 17.
However, at one of their meetings labour reduced its demand to 20 and 25 per cent, while government increased its offer to 17 and 15 per cent.
The Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, announced the news of the agreement early Friday morning in Abuja shortly after the conclusion of the meeting with labour.
The meeting, which began at 8:24pm Thursday, ended 3am Friday.
According to Ngige the consequential adjustment agreed upon are as follows:
“For COMESS wage structure Grade level 7 gets 23 per cent, Salary grade level 8 gets 20 per cent, Salary grade level 9 gets 19 per cent Salary grade level 10 -14 gets 16 per cent while Salary grade level 15-17 gets 14 per cent.
“For those on the second category of wages structure, CONHES, CONRRISE, CONTISS etc, Level 7 gets 22.2 percent, Level 8-14 gets 16 per cent , Level 15-17 gets 10.5 percent.”
He said the third category of the country’s wage structure which are military and paramilitary officers were also factored in in the agreement.
READ ALSO: Lagos To Pay More Than N30,000 As Minimum Wage — Sanwo-Olu
Since they are not in the civil service , theirs will be communicated through the appropriate channels. Their percentages of increase is confidential.”
Below is the full agreement reached
MEMORANDUM OF TERMS OF SETTLEMENT REACHED AT THE END OF THE CONCILIATION MEETINGS ON CONSEQUENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS OF THE OTHER WAGES FOLLOWING THE NEW NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE OF N30, 000 HELD AT THE INSTANCE OF THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (HML&E) BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AND ORGANISED LABOUR ON 9TH, 14TH, 15TH, 16TH ,17TH AND 18TH OCTOBER , 2019, AT THE CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE HONOURABLE MINISTER, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT, ABUJA.
Following the threat by Organized Labour not to guarantee industrial peace after Wednesday, October 16, 2019, as a result of the deadlock in the ongoing negotiation on the Consequential Adjustment of emoluments in Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) arising from the New National Minimum Wage of Thirty Thousand Naira (N30, 000.00) as imbued in the National Minimum Wage Act, 2019, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment in exercise of his powers under the Trade Dispute Act, CAP T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004, apprehended the trade dispute and called the parties to conciliation meetings. He met each of the JNPSNC separately on Wednesday, 9th October and Monday 15th October, 2019, Thereafter, joint meetings were held on 16th, 17th and 18th of October, 2019, after which the following Terms of Settlement and Agreement pertaining to the Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustments in the Public Service were reached:
THE CONSEQUENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS/INCREASE
Group 1 (CONPSS)
• GL 07 = 23.2%
• GL 08 = 20%
• GL 09 = 19%
• GL 10 – 14 = 16%
• GL 15¬- 17 = 14%
Group 2 (CONHESS, CONRAISS, CONTISS II, CONUASS II, CONMESS. CONTEDISS & CONPCASS)
• GL 7/Equivalent = 23.2%
• GL 8-14/Equivalent = 16%
• GL 15-17/Equivalent = 10.5%
JOINT NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE NEGOTIATING COUNCIL
GOVERNMENT SIDE
Dr. Folasade Yemi- Esan, Ag. Head of the Civil Service of the Federation
Mr. Olusegun Olufehinti, (FCA), Director IPPIS, OAGF, (Fed. Ministry of Finance, Budget & National Planning)
LABOUR SIDE
Comrade Simon Anchave, Chairman JNPSNC
Comrade Lawal A. Bashir, Secretary General
JNPSNC
WITNESSES
William Nwankwo Alo, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment
Comrade Ayuba Wabba, mni, NLC President
Sir Olusegun Adeyemi Adekunle,
Permanent Secretary, GSO
Com. Quadri A. Olaleye , TUC President
CONCILIATORS
Festus Keyamo, SAN
Hon. Minister of State of Labour& Employment
Sen. (Dr) Chris Nwabueze Ngige, OON
Honourable Minister of Labour & Employment
Dated in Abuja, today 18th Day of October, 2019
