After days of intense negotiations, the federal
government of Nigeria and the country’s labour
unions have reached a deal on the implementation
modality of the new minimum wage.
Disagreement over how the new minimum wage law
signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in April
would be implemented had lingered for months,
with organised labour threatening to strike.
The Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris
Ngige, disclosed news of the much-awaited
agreement early Friday morning in Abuja shortly
after a government team he led concluded a
meeting with labour.
The meeting, which began at 8:24pm Thursday,
ended 3am Friday.
The disagreement had centred around the
consequential adjustments in salaries that must be
implemented across board in line with the new
minimum wage law.
Labour is demanding a 29 per cent salary increase
for officers on salary level 07 to 14, and 24 per
cent adjustment for officers on salary grade level 15
to 17.
But the federal government offered 11 per cent
salary increase for officers on grade level 07 to14,
and 6.5 per cent adjustment for workers on grade
level 15 to 17.
Speaking after the five-hour meeting, Mr Ngige said
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.
“Since they are not in the civil service , theirs will
be communicated through the appropriate channels.
Their percentages of increase is confidential,”
Young-po Reporters 