The organised Labour and the Federal Government may be heading for another showdown over the government’s failure to sustain the payment of N35,000 wage award to workers.
Workers in the Federal Civil Service, noted that the Federal Government only paid N35,000 wage award for September.
Following the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu on his assumption of office, the Federal Government agreed to pay N35,000 to each of its workers to reduce the hardship caused by the subsidy removal.
The government, in a memo signed by the Chairman, National Salaries Wages and Income Commission, Ekpo Nta, stated that the payment of the wage award would begin to take effect from September 1, 2023.
However findings show that the government only paid the wage award for September.
A senior civil servant in one of the core ministries, departments and agencies said, “The wage award was only paid once and I assume that was the one for September. Since then, we have not received another. We all are confused as there has been no official communication from the government as regards the matter. We are all confused at the moment.”
Another civil servant, said, “What you heard is true. We have not received anything else other than the initial wage award which was paid. The government cannot continue to let the citizens suffer. Our take-home salaries cannot even take us home any longer at this point.”
According to head of information of the Nigeria Labour Congress, said the congress would kick against any form of imposition of a new minimum wage by the Federal Government.
He said negotiations had yet to commence, but expressed optimism that talks on the new minimum wage would start soon.
