FG Finally Reach Agreement With Labour On Implementation Of N30,000 Minimum Wage

Published: October 18, 2019

The Federal Government and Organised Labour have reached an agreement on the consequential adjustments for the N30,000 new national minimum wage.

After three days of intense negotiation, both teams finally agreed on Thursday night to shift ground from their earlier positions on certain percentages for each grade level.

According to the new template, workers on grade level 07 was agreed at 23.2 percent; grade level 08 at 20 percent; grade level 09 at 19 percent; from grade level 10 – 14 at 16 percent and from grade level 15 – 17 at 14 percent.

The Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has taken to his Twitter handle to announce the truce reached between Federal Government and Labour representative, saying both parties have come to terms on the mode of payment. He wrote:

After some delicate negotiations (with both Ministers as conciliators) Government and Labour have finally reached an agreement on the consequential adjustments of other wages following the implementation of the enhanced minimum wage of N30,000. We are now working on the communique.”

The President of the Trade Union Congress, Quadri Olaleye and the Secretary-General, Musa-Lawal Ozigi, also confirmed the peace pact in a statement which reads:

“We commend the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, and her team for their sincerity.
“Though, they argued that the government could not afford to meet our earlier demand of N30,000 minimum wage across board because of the economic situation in the country, we made them understand that some people could not be more Nigerian than others.
“If we are tightening our belts, government should also do so.”

KanyiDaily recalls that this agreement is coming after the Labour Unions had begun mobilization of workers for a planned nationwide strike over the delayed implementation of the new minimum wage.

The leaders of labour unions accused the government of being nonchalant about negotiations on the implementation of the new minimum wage, adding that Nigerian workers have already exercised enough patience and restraint.