Minimum Wage: Labour rejects Fayemi's proposed salary adjustment

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State

The organised labour in Ekiti State have threatened to reject Governor Kayode Fayemi’s proposal on the N30,000 minimum wage for workers if it does not agree with the template set by the national leadership of the labour centres.

The labour leaders insisted that whatever the Fayemi administration would implement must be in consonance with the national template increment of 66.6 per cent for Grade Levels 01 to 06, 29 per cent for 07 to 14 and 24 percent for 15 to 17.

The position of the organised labour was contained in a statement jointly signed by the secretaries of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mohammed Bashman; Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Akinyemi Taiwo, and Public Service Joint Negotiating Council (PSJNC), Gbenga Olowoyo, respectively.

The labour leaders applauded Fayemi for his readiness to implement the proposal, but deplored the unilateral decision taken on the matter, contending that labour could have been carried along as earlier agreed on September 30 at a meeting with the Head of Service, Mr. Ayodeji Ajayi.

Fayemi, had last Friday pronounced the readiness of his administration to effect the new minimum wage, commencing from October, during the 2019 edition of the Teachers’ Day Celebration.

But the labour leaders stated: “In line with the national directive of the leaderships of the organised labour, anything short of the above percentage, the organised labour won’t do anything contrary to the Wednesday October 16, 2019 set for the national strike in Nigeria over the insincerity of government to pay the new minimum wage to workers on GL 01 to 17.

“The organised labour is constrained to refer to a meeting of September 30 at the office of the Head of Service; the resolution then was that the state government must ensure due process with the setting up of negotiating team and in fulfilment of outstanding salaries and other emoluments before commencing N30,000 minimum wage, although the pronouncement made on October 5 had Contravened this resolution.”

The labour leaders also expressed hope that Governor Fayemi would fulfil his promise to defray the N57billion outstanding workers’ salaries, allowances and pension before clocking one year in office on October 16.

They said: “The liquidation of these outstanding payments is sacrosanct. They include three months payment to public servants, September 2017 and May 2018 deductions, six months arrears of salaries to local government workers, financial backing for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 workers’ promotions and leave bonuses for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 to civil servants.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the non-payment of these aforementioned outstanding before the promised date may threaten the industrial peace in our dear state.”

Source;The Nation