Wage
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Attempt by Govt to Unilaterally Impose Salary Increase on Workers is Counterproductive-AWC
- By solomon2day
- On 19/07/2019
- In News
The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has condemned the attempt by the Federal Government to unilaterally impose consequential adjustment of salaries on Nigerian workers.The AWC made its position known through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.
‘’The negotiations are not yet completed and it must involve all parties, therefore it is foolhardy of government to unilaterally impose specific payments for specific set of workers without the Joint agreement of the all the parties involved. This is primitive, counterproductive and it also goes against the principles of the international labor organizations as regards the doctrine of collective bargaining.
‘’The AWC is not in any way comfortable with the position of government to divide the rank and file of workers through the nascent questionable inconsequential adjustment of salaries of Grade levels 01 to 06, thereby leaving the rest to go on with negotiations. It is an attempt to divide the Nigerian workers, though government is been deceitful, knowing fully well that between Grade levels 01 to 06 have been concession ed out and only a very few in those levels will benefit from the so called N30,000 new national minimum wage.’’
‘’The AWC supports the move for a national strike by the National Joint Public Negotiating Council as announced by its National Secretary, Comrade Bashir Lawal. Government is trying to hypnotize the Nigerian workers and put them in a state of perpetual disillusionment as regards the new national minimum wage, as it is one story today another story tomorrow, more of a cycle of endless confusion’’, Comrade Emelieze noted.
The Federal Government has proposed a 9.5 per cent increase in salaries for Grade levels 01 to 14, while five per cent increase will be effected for those from Grade levels 15 and above .
However, the labor unions are agitating for a 35 per cent increase across board.
Interestingly, the National Incomes, Salaries and Wages Commission has fixed the salaries of those workers who presently earn below N30,000 and such workers shall begin to receive payments at the end of July.
Recently, elected members of the Federal House of Representatives received N25 million each as entitlements due to them on resumption, while their counterparts in the Senate received N30 million each.