Minimum Wage: Ekiti workers reject FG proposed salary adjustment

Workers in Ekiti State on Thursday rejected the stance of the Federal Government negotiating team on the new minimum wage, describing it as retrogressive and slave offer to Nigerian workers.

The workers, under the aegis of Joint Public Service Negotiation Council, said the Federal Government should adequately review the new minimum wage so that it will have multiplier effect on workers and the society.

The Council Chairman in Ekiti State, Kayode Fatomiluyi and Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo told journalists in Ado Ekiti that for the new minimum wage to be effective and meaningful to workers, the adjustment had to be proportional.

Fatomiluyi said: “JNC Ekiti State rejects in totality, the offer being made by the Federal Government because it is not worker-friendly. We see it as a deceit. A slave offer. It should be proportional for it to have effect. We support the rejection by labour negotiation team of the Federal Government offer.

While the Federal Government is proposing adjustment with 66 per cent for grade levels 1 – 6, 9.5 per cent for grade levels 7 – 14 and five per cent for levels 15 – 17, labour is demanding 30 per cent for grade levels 7 – 14 and 25 per cent for grade levels 15 to 17 for the new minimum wage to be beneficial.

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The JNC, while praising Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, for infrastructures improvement, knowledge economy, plans for job creation and socio-economic development, however, called on him to redress alleged injustice done to workers by the past administration.

Fatomiluyi said: “JNC calls on Ekiti State Government to quickly look into the different promotions given to workers in Ekiti State without financial benefit as well as arrears of unpaid workers’ salaries and 2017, 2018 and 2019 unpaid leave bonuses.

“The present administration should as a matter of urgency do the needful in this regard to act as impetus to encourage workers,” adding that the government should in the like manner of ensuring prompt payment of workers’ salaries since assumption of office, “all deductions should be paid alongside the salaries to avoid frictions and suspicions,” he said.