Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Senator Ngige further said that FEC approved that payment of the new wage should take effect from  April 18, 2019, and that he, in collaboration with the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, have been directed to send the consequential adjustment to states as a template for their negotiations with state governments.

This is even as Minister of  Youth and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare, said in a tweet yesterday that members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, would also enjoy the new minimum wage.

Ngige said: “Today (yesterday), we sent to FEC our report and the conciliation that was done last week between Organised Labour and the Federal Government of Nigeria on the issue of the new national minimum wage which has been fixed at N30,000 a month and the consequential adjustment that were meant for salaries and wage structures of the public service thereto.

“You will remember that last week when I briefed the press, I told you that the salaries and wage structure are in four classes — Health, Armed Forces Service, Research Institutes and the Paramilitary.

“So, they have percentage increases in their wage structure and for emphasis, the Grade Level-07 compartment received 23.2 per cent rise; Grade Level 08, 20 per cent; Grade Level 09, 19 per cent; Grade Level 10-14, 16 per cent; and Grade Levels 15 to 17, 14 per cent in the CONPPS which is the pure civil service structure and agencies earning the same wages as those in the public service.

“You have the CONRESS AND CONTISS which is compartmental too. They have 23.2 per cent equivalent and 14-16, 10.5 per cent, Police and other security agencies because they have had a pay rise.

“Last year, they were consequentially adjusted to between four and seven per cent; the same goes for the paramilitary, they also have their consequential pay rise.

“So, FEC today (yesterday) approved for us that the financial implications worked out by the National Incomes and Wages Commission that the salaries adjustment should take effect from April 18, 2019, the day the new national minimum wage Act came into being.

“Council also approved that the financial implications are worked out and the payment completed on or before December 2019. Council further directed that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, effect all these payments before December 31, 2019.

“Council further directed also that the National Income and Wages Commission and the Ministry of Labour and Employment should send the consequential adjustment table down to the states and local governments as an advisory document for their information and guidance for their National Joint Public Service status in their respective states because the national minimum wage is a national law.’’

They said the request was to prevent “another avoidable round of agitation.”

They also commended stakeholders who participated in the just-concluded negotiation on consequential adjustment arising from the monthly new national minimum wage.

The acting chairman of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side), Simon Anchaver; and Secretary, Alade Lawal, made the demand in a statement emailed to The PUNCH in Abuja.

Labour expressed hope that all sides in the just-concluded negotiation had learnt a few lessons that would enable them avoid similar mistakes in future, including attempts by some “fifth columnists” in government to derail collective bargaining process.

According to them, representatives of government and organised labour “exerted so much energy, dedication and intellect during the prolonged negotiation on consequential adjustment before reaching
Agreement acceptable to both parties.”

The statement reads, “It is necessary to commend millions of workers at the Federal and 36 States Public Services for their patience, understanding, and for the confidence they reposed in the leadership of the TUS of the JNPSNC to carry out the negotiation to its logical conclusion.

“We are also glad that government has taken note of the need for a general salary review in the Public Service. We are looking forward to this review and we hope that the Federal Government will keep to its promise which was made during the negotiation of consequent adjustment.

“We also wish to advise that since the 2019 national minimum wage was signed into law by Mr. President on April 18 2019, the implementation should start from that date so as not to trigger off another avoidable round of agitation by Public Service employees and their trade unions.

“We also wish to put on record the marvelous role played by the leadership of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and that of the Nigeria Labour Congress in ensuring a successful negotiation.

“The TUS equally hailed the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, for properly managing the trade dispute when the government side tried to derail the negotiation leading to marathon meetings in his office before agreement could be reached.

“We are particularly glad that the Honourable Labour Minister has urged all employers covered by the 2019 national minimum wage Act to commence payment failing which the trade unions should declare trade disputes against such employers at the Ministry or drag them to the National Industrial Court.”

The TUS also commended the acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, “for bringing her motherly disposition to bear on the negotiation process and for assuring the nation that necessary arrears would be paid.”

Source: Punch

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen yesterday in Abuja, stated that the payment cuts across both the public and private sectors.

Ngige said the consequential adjustment agreed upon were as follows: “For COMESS wage structure grade level 7 gets 23%, level 8 gets 20%, level 9 gets 19%, levels 10 to 14 get 16% while levels 15 to 17 get 14%. “For those on the second category of wages structure, CONHES, CONRRISE, CONTISS etc, level 7 gets 22.2%, levels 8 to 14 get 16%, levels 15 to 17 get 10.5%.”

The Minister stated that the third category of the country’s “wage structure which includes the military and paramilitary was also factored in the agreement since they are not in the civil service, theirs would be communicated through the appropriate channels.”

The federal government and the labour unions finally sorted out the issues of consequential adjustment for other categories of workers after three days of meeting which ended early today.

Under the agreement reached, the core civil servants on grade level 7 are to get (23.2 per cent) adjustment; grade level 8 (20 per cent); grade level 9 (19 per cent); grade levels 10 to14 (16 per cent); and grade levels 15 to 17, (14 per cent).