Minimum wage: FG, Labour reach agreement

The Federal Government and the organised labour yesterday reached an agreement on the consequential adjustment and implementation of the new national minimum wage.

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this on his twitter handle late last night while both parties were still meeting.

The meeting was ongoing as of the time of filing this report (11.20pm).

Keyamo stated: “After some delicate negotiations (with both ministers as conciliators), the government and the labour have finally reached an agreement on the consequential adjustment of other wages following the implementation of the enhanced minimum wage of N30, 000. we are working on the communiqué.”

According to the new template, which a source shared with Daily Trust, workers on grade level 7 has an shift to 23.2 percent; level 8, 20 percent; level 9, 19 percent; level 10 to14,16 percent and 14 - 17,14 percent.

The 14-day ultimatum which the organised labour gave the government had elapsed on Tuesday.

The labour had said it could not guarantee industrial harmony from October 17 if the government failed to resolve the issue.

Both parties had failed to reach an agreement at the Tuesday’s marathon meeting.

There had been reports of Federal Government agreeing to a 20 percent and 13.5 percent consequential adjustments for workers on grade levels 7 to14 and 15 to 17 respectively. But the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, had described it as a mere speculation.

The organised labour had demanded 29 percent salary increase for officers on salary level 7 to 14 and 24 per cent adjustment for officers on salary grade level 15 to 17. The Federal Government, however, presented a proposal of 11 percent salary increase for officers on grade level 07 to14 and 6.5 percent adjustment for workers of grade level 15 to 17.