New Minimum Wage: A’Ibom Workers Should Disregard The Announcement As Negotiations Are Inconclusive, NLC Boss

By: Israel Umoh

The trade dispute between Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Akwa Ibom Council and the state government is far from being over as this may snowball into industrial action owing to the inability of both parties to resolve some thorny issues, an investigation by Straightnews has shown.

Governor Udom Emmanuel had directed the setting up of a committee on the implementation of the new minimum wage and the immediate past Head of Civil Service inaugurated a 16-member committee on May 16, 2019.

When the committee members met on January 16, 2020, the meeting ended in a deadlock as labour leaders and state government officials failed to agree on payment of consequential adjustments to workers on Grade Level 07-14 in the state.

But on Tuesday, January 21, Akwa Ibom State Government indicated its readiness to pay the new minimum wage to workers adding that it will be done as soon as negotiations with union leaders are concluded.

Mr. Effiong Essien, Akwa Ibom State Head of Civil Service made this known in an interview in his office in Uyo, the state capital, said the payment will begin from December 2019 and arrears would be paid in subsequent months.

“As we speak, Akwa Ibom State is ready to pay the minimum wage and consequential adjustments to workers as provided by the national wages and salary commission.

“Only that labours are trying to ask for more benefits for the workers and that what is delaying the matter, not that there is any matter.

“Akwa Ibom State is one of the states that has declared the intention to pay the new minimum wage. But negotiations are ongoing. The state government has declared to labour that it is ready to pay according to the national template,” he said.

Essien who acknowledged that will be an increase in wage bill explained that states were at liberty to negotiate with labour leaders what they would be able to pay, adding that there was room for states to “decide on what they can pay or not.”

However, in an interview with Straightnews publisher on Wednesday, January 22, 2020, Sunny James, the state Chairperson of NLC, reacted “I do not know anything about the announcement. If there is a press release, it has nothing to do with me. At the end of the negotiation, both parties have to sign an agreement and a press release will be issued.

“I do not know what they are doing. It is 100 per cent government side. It is divide and rule, let them release their circular (as they have done). At the end of it, they will do what is supposed to be done.

“Workers should disregard the announcement as negotiations are inconclusive. The labour will respond adequately,” Comrade James added.

A document exclusively obtained by Straightnews shows that the state NLC and the state government are not still on the same page as the government has rebuffed to avail labour of the wage bill and the total number of public sector employees to guide negotiations.

In a letter the labour said to have been sent to Akwa Ibom governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, NLC said the government has declined to provide answers to the discrepancies in the wage bill of the local government areas as pointed out by labour during negotiations.

“Government has declined to make a commitment to the issue of harmionisation of pensions. The minimum wage implementation would not be complete without the harmonization of pensions. Pension rates in the state have not been reviewed for more than 10 years.

“The sub-committee which was set up to review the problematic Akwa Ibom State CONHESS is still yet to conclude its work and turn in its report,” the letter indicates.

The online newspaper discovered that Federal Government percentages are not the same as Federal Salary table or chart. The tables are contained in the circulars of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission nos. SWC.04/Vol.x/722, 728, 734, and 740 of 14th November, 2019, respectively.

See Contentious Consequential Adjustments Table

An undisclosed source hinted the online newspaper that SEC meeting on January 16, 2020, insists on the percentages demanded by labour in its final submission i.e 25%, 24%, 23%, 22%, 20% and 18% for Grade levels 07-14; demands that the sub-committee which was set up to review the problematic Akwa Ibom State CONHESS be allowed to conclude its work and turn in its report to aid further discussion on the new minimum wage.

The meeting also demands that the government should make a specific statement and/or commitment on the issue of harmonisation of pensions as the new Minimum Wage implementation would be incomplete without the harmonisation of pensions.

In his reaction, Comrade Iboro Ibara, the state NLC Secretary, speaking with Straightnews publisher  on Wednesday, said: “The action of the government in unilaterally issuing a press release when an agreement has not been reached is strange, shameful and unacceptable.”