Be realistic on minimum wage demands, A/Ibom govt tells NLC

The Akwa Ibom State government has urged the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to be realistic about its minimum wage demands. 

The NLC had proposed N497,000 as minimum wage but the government is leaning towards N57,000. 

The state’s Head of Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien, said while the state government is willing to abide by any agreed minimum wage, the demands should be reasonable and feasible for states to pay. 

Speaking in Uyo on Thursday amid ongoing negotiations between the NLC and the federal government for a new minimum wage, Essien emphasised the importance of asking for a wage that states can afford.

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“Every worker wants an increment in wages. However, salary increases in the civil service involve a process and are not solely a state matter. It is a concurrent matter that originates from the federal level,” he said. 

He further criticised the practice of influencing employment processes without adhering to due process. 

Elder Essien also called for regular and consistent employment of workers in small batches based on needs to prevent large-scale retirements that could leave the service understaffed. 

Listen to labour, pensioners tell Tinubu

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the southwest zone has urged President Bola Tinubu to heed the calls of organised labour regarding the new minimum wage. 

The union made the call yesterday at the end of its quarterly meeting in Akure, attended by executives from several states in the region. 

Olusegun Abatan, speaking for the southwest zone pensioners, expressed discontent with the negotiation process under President Tinubu’s government and state governors, especially amidst the economic challenges and suffering in the country. 

He lamented the impact of fuel subsidy removal on hardship and urged workers not to settle for less than what is justified by economic realities. 

Abatan stressed that the demands of NLC and TUC are reasonable considering the current economic situation and urged President Tinubu to act based on his past advocacy for a better life for Nigerians.