Ime Akpan
Pay N30, 000 new minimum wage to workers –Okowa tells colleagues
We want implementation of new minimum wage to begin in May -NLC
The senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki has applauded Nigerian workers for their contribution to the socio-economic development of the country in spite of some economic realities.
The senate president who stated this in his goodwill message to commemorate the 2019 Workers’ Day celebration, expressed the hope that workers would be encouraged to always put in their best to uplift and sustain the nation’s economy, “in view of the recent signing into law of a new minimum wage of N30, 000.″
“No nation can develop without a virile and agile workforce.
“It is trite to say that workers are the mainstay of our nation’s economy, since no policy of government, no matter how remote, will succeed without the commitment and collaboration of workers saddled with implementation.
“Having interacted with Nigerian workers and their leadership times without number, I can say without fear of contradiction that the nation’s workforce is among the best in the continent.
“All that is left is to adequately harness their abundant talents and spirit of patriotism to further improve on the nation’s economic and political development through timely and adequate motivation, training and retraining,” he said.
The senate president who commended the organised labour for their patriotism in mostly choosing dialogue over industrial action in resolving trade disputes also urged the public sector to work to ensure that the country realised her potentials.
“It should eliminate tardiness, increase the level of discipline and strive to provide enabling environment for the private sector to thrive with the resultant broadening of the scope of national prosperity,” he said.
Meanwhile, the governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa urged his colleagues to pay the new N30, 000 minimum wage to their workers.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja, Okowa said the new wage was long overdue, arguing that N18, 000 was no longer sustainable.
“We are actually going to pay the N30, 000; we have made our statement long before the new minimum wage was even approved. I actually believe that it’s long overdue because N18, 000 is definitely not sustainable.
“I have told my colleagues and the NLC president that this time; we must understand what minimum wage is. It is not supposed to be a general salary increment. Those at the bottom of the rung should actually benefit much more than those at the top and it ought to be so,” he said.
Similarly, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said that the organised labour wants the implementation of the N30, 000 new minimum wage to begin in May.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, NLC’s general secretary, Dr. Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said getting the new minimum wage law implemented is not a one-off process but one that requires diligence and accuracy.
“A law takes effect from the day it is signed. So, the minimum wage law takes effect from the 18th of April, 2019 when it was signed by the president. The actual implementation, when the money would be paid, including whatever arrears that are there, is a matter for individual employer’s consultations with the relevant unions. That is how that would take place. As such, that sets the stage for actual implementation because while in some sectors there may not be difficulty at all and implementation will just go on unimpeded, we know that, particularly in respect to some states, there would be different levels of struggle that would still have to be executed in order to make the new wage a reality.
“This is because paying the minimum wage would require working out a salary table and how things fit into it. Each state is expected to deal with such situations, likewise at the federal level. So, these are the stages of struggles we are envisaging, but we are insisting that all these need to be sorted out very quickly so that actual implementation can start with the May 2019 salary,” he said.
Meanwhile, the president of NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba urged state governors to emulate their Yobe State counterpart, Mr. Ibrahim Gaidam on prompt payment of salaries and gratuities.
He made the call in Damaturu yesterday at a book launch chronicling the one-decade stewardship of Gaidam.
Wabba who presented a paper on ‘Prudence and accountability as panacea for effective implementation of minimum wage in Nigeria: The Yobe State example’ Wabba said despite the security challenges and the harsh economic situation, the governor was up-to-date in the payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities.
He said Gaidam’s administration had also invested much in the infrastructural development of the state.
