New minimum wage: Buhari gets reminder

The Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to expedite action on the full implementation of the National Minimum Wage.

SSAUTHRIAI made the call in a communique signed by its sectoral chairman, Felix Uwadiae and Secretary, Ademola Olajire, on Sunday.

While the Federal Government is proposing 9.5 per cent salary increase for employees on grade levels 07 to 14 and 5 per cent for those on grade levels 15 to 17, the organised labour is demanding 30 per cent increase for officers on grade levels 07 to 14 and 25 per cent increase for grade levels 15 to 17.

The communique reads, “The council-in-session appreciates Mr President for signing the new national minimum wage bill into law.

“However, the union shows its displeasure in the partial implementation of the new national minimum wage.

“SSAUTHRIAI, therefore, urges Mr President to expedite action in its full implementation.

“The President should urgently and personally intervene on the issue of the committee working out modalities for the implementation of the new national minimum wage for the workers to ensure its implementation.”

The union also appealed to Mr President to reconsider his decision to close the nation’s borders, as it has resulted in the astronomic increase in the prices of some staple foods like rice, beans, and groundnut oil, while the alternative local products are not readily available

“Where they exist, the prices have become prohibitive, due to the low quantity available.”

While sympathising with the Federal Government on the killings and abductions going in different parts of the country, the organisation demanded that government should “reorganise the nation’s security architecture in order to combat the security challenges to conform with the reality on ground.

“The issue of incessant killing, kidnappings, herdsmen attack, armed robbery, Boko Haram and other social vices has been on the increase in recent times in the country.

“While we sympathise with the family of those who lost their lives and others who are affected, we humbly plead with Mr President, to re-organise the nation’s security apparatus to conform with the reality on ground,” it added.

The union also expressed concerns that in spite of the judgment of the National Industrial Court delivered in September 2013 on the skipping of CONRAISS 10, the management of some research institutes were yet to comply.