…as govt separates N10,000 palliative from actual workers’ salaries
Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress Gombe chapter Yusuf Aish, on Sunday agreed for his members to await the National Minimum Wage table in order to start negotiations on N70,000.
Aish made this disclosure while briefing journalists after minimum wage implementation committee’s meeting at Deputy Governor’s office.
He said, “However in our tripartite discussion we came to agree between us and government that we are going to wait a little bit to see the time the National Minimum Wage table which has been agreed by Federal Government will be released. Whenever it’s released we will start full negotiations in Gombe State with a view to agree on what will be paid in the state.”
Speaking further Aish added, “The N10,000 palliative being paid to civil servants since September 2023 it’s ongoing. What we have agreed now is in order for a civil servant to understand their actual salary and the palliative. Government will actual salary and then pay N10,000 separate for a civil servant to understand. Civil servants will receive two alerts by implication. We hope the table will be out for us to commence negotiation to agree what we will pay civil servants in Gombe State.”
…….as govt separates N10,000 palliative from actual workers’ salaries
Chairman of the committee, who doubles as Deputy Governor Dr Manassah Jatau, who was represented by Head of Civil Service Ahmed Abdullahi, harped that the government introduced the N10,000 across board to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal on the entire workers last September.
He said, “It was the magnanimity of the governor to alleviate the hardship caused on removal of subsidy on civil servants to assist them he introduced N10,000 so that the civil servants can feel better in the discharge of their duties the governor was paying N40,000 minimum wage which is understood as most states in the federation couldn’t afford to pay the N30,000 minimum wage but the governor has paid N40,000 minimum wage.
“The payment of N10,000 by the governor was due to his concern, feeling, regard for civil servants that he announced the palliative. It’s almost one year, to be precise they started paying N10,000 to workers last September and we are approaching September 2024.”
While vowing to implement the minimum wage, Jatau added, “He (governor) is highly committed to paying the N70,000 minimum wage. I want to draw our attention that the N10,000 palliative he initially said pending when negotiation is reached between the Federal Government and labour. Thank God, an agreement has been reached which is N70,000 will be paid and it’s now time as standing committee is in place for a long time.”
“We are fine tuning how to implement the process for now normal salary will be pay and after two days the palliative of the N10,000 will be paid this is for a worker to see the difference between the actual salary and the new minimum wage. So whatever is paid we will see the difference, if they are not paid separately we will not know the difference between our salaries and the new minimum wage because the N10,000 is a different entity and will be segmented for now. The original salary will be paid and in two days the N10,000 will be paid so advertently the N40,000 minimum wage will be paid is just for us to know the difference,” he added.
