NASU Urges FG to Halt Planned Slash of Workers’ Salaries
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has described the decision of the federal government to reduce salaries of civil servants as insensitive, provocative and inciting.
In statement issued yesterday by the General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters A. Adeyemi, it pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to have a rethink on the policy direction of his government.
It said embarking on a pay-cut at a time, when for the same economic reasons, the United States of America is considering raising its minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour, is not desirable.
“To continue on this line of policy will only provoke Nigerian workers and incite them towards negative actions that may lead to unintended outcomes,” he said.
NASU said it viewed the recent pronouncement by the federal government that the government has decided to reduce salaries of federal civil servants as an act of insensitivity, provocative and inciting.
The union said the Minister of Finance Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, was reported to have said on May 4, 2021, at a ‘National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Cost of Governance in Nigeria’, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja that the review of salaries of civil servants and some federal agencies was part of measures to reduce cost of governance.
She was further quoted to have stated that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) has been directed to review salaries of civil servants and some federal agencies.
NASU observed that President Buhari had refused to yield to the pressure from some individuals in his administration, who have continued to urge him to retrench workers.
It also noted that the administration had continued to pay salaries regularly despite challenges, adding that the act is commendable.
The group said the reason given by the Minister of Finance for the policy statement is the desire of the government to reduce cost of governance.