The Nasarawa State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on Gov. Abdullahi Sule of the state to constitute the minimum wage implementation committee ahead of the release of the template by the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).
Comr. Ismaila Okoh, NLC Chairman in the state who made the call at a media briefing on Friday in Lafia, said the call became imperative to sustain the industrial harmony being enjoyed in the state.
President Bola Tinubu on Monday, July 29, 2024, assented to the new minimum wage law of N70,000.
The congress chairman said that the removal of the fuel subsidy had caused a lot of untold hardship to workers and assured that the union would ensure the proper implementation of the new minimum wage to cushion its effect.
“In the past few weeks, the atmosphere around the civil service had been characterised by uneasiness and uncertainty, following repeated pronouncements by the state government that it was ready to commence payment of the new wage in August.
“There is a procedure for the implementation of new minimum wage in every state, which begins with set up of a joint committee of the government and the organised labour.
“That has not been put in place in the state and until and unless it is done we will adopt and approve a template to be used in the state,” he added.
Okoh however, explained that the union had already informed the government that the notional promotions given to civil servants as well as the outstanding promotions should be implemented before the new minimum wage.
“This would enable workers to be properly placed at their levels to avoid being shortchanged,” he added.
The NLC Chairman who described the governor as workers-friendly, expressed optimism that the governor would do the needful to sustain the industrial harmony in the state.
He, therefore, called on workers to take their jobs seriously as the union would not stand by anyone found wanting to perform his responsibility in the office.
The congress chairman in the state further explained that to whom much is given, much more is expected of him therefore, workers must take their jobs seriously.
Meanwhile, Abigail Waya, Nasarawa State Head of Civil Service assured workers of the government commitment to improving their welfare. (NAN).
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