Buhari to Wade Into Disagreement And Adjustment on New Minimum Wage

• Parties waiting on Buhari to wade in on new minimum wage matter.

Information reaching iDONSABI.com indicates that the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), and representatives of the Federal Government will meet again on September 4 to continue negotiations on the new national minimum wage.

According to reports, the negotiators adjourned to the new date to allow President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the disagreement of relativity and consequential adjustments on the new minimum wage.

The Permanent Secretaries of finance and labour ministries, as well as representative of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission in attendance were present in the meeting held in Abuja on Friday.

READ: Minimum Wage: Labour Optimistic as Negotiating Council Meets FG Today

Mr Lawrence Amaechi, the National President, Nigeria Civil Service Union, who is a Labour leader in the negotiations told NAN that both parties had agreed to consider their stance and allow the President to decide on the issue.

“Both parties are holding on to their different positions on the relativity/consequential adjustment of salaries. We shall submit that stance to Mr President to enable him wade into the matter.

“We have, however, adjourned till September 4, to get the outcome from the team expected to take our positions to the President,” he said.

Amaechi, who also said that payment of the new minimum wage was long overdue, urged government to be proactive to avoid arrears which could create another round of agitations by workers.

iDOSABI reports that the new minimum wage bill was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in April but deliberations have continued as the issue of relativity/consequential adjustment of salaries still persisted.

It could be recalled that the federal government, on May 14, inaugurated the Relativity/Consequential Adjustment Committee which, in turn, set up a Technical Sub-Committee to work out the template for the adjustment of salaries of public service employees.

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In July, the federal government proposed a 10 percent increment for level seven to 14, and a 5.5 percent increment for workers on level 15 to 17, a proposal Labour outrightly rejected.