The Federal Government, through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), has announced that the implementation of Nigeria’s new minimum wage will commence in July 2024.
The NSIWC Chairman, Ekpo Nta, made this known during a press briefing in Abuja, stating that the July date aligns with when President Bola Tinubu approved the bill, following its passage by the National Assembly.
This announcement comes in contrast to a previous statement by the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, who indicated that the new minimum wage would be implemented starting May 1, 2024.
As a result of this discrepancy, the Federal Government will only be required to pay two months of arrears if payments begin in October 2024.
The government has also approved the revision of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure and other salary scales.
Last week, the Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries for civil servants, led by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, agreed on the implementation of the new wage structure with an effective date of July 29, 2024.
The committee recommended that the wage award, which was previously discontinued, should be paid up until July 28, 2024.
Walson-Jack noted that the government’s decisions were influenced by the current economic challenges facing the country.
However, this decision has sparked criticism from labour unions. Benson Upah, Head of Information for the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), expressed dissatisfaction, calling the government’s timing “unacceptable.”
“The backdating to July is not fair. It is not acceptable,” he said.
Also, the National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress, Timmy Etim, criticised the government’s move.
He said since the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, had told workers on May Day that the new minimum wage would take effect in May, it was unfair for the government to renege on the promise.
However, giving reasons for the change at the press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the NSIWC chairman said, “The President has approved the revision of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure with effect from July 29, 2024.
“The commission wishes to clarify that the effective date for the commencement of the National Minimum Wage is the 29th of July, 2024 as that was the day Mr President assented to the act after the bill was forwarded to him by the National Assembly.”
He added that any federal public service, whether self-funded or treasury funded that had not received a circular to this effect, specifically from the NSIWC, should contact it for further directives.
Nta said, “This is to avoid an uncoordinated implementation which tends to destroy the existing salary relativities in the federal public service.”
He said that NSIWC would issue further directives on how pensioners, NYSC members and interns would benefit from the implementation.
The chairman listed other revised templates to include Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure, Consolidated Universities Academic Salary Structure and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure II.
He said others were: The Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure, Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure and Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.
Nta named others to include: Consolidated Health Salary Structure, Consolidated Para-Military Salary Structure and Consolidated Police Salary Structure.
The rest were: Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure.
“This is consequent to the enactment of the NSIWC Amendment Act 2024 and the Memorandum of Understanding reached by the committee on consequential adjustments in salaries arising from the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024.
”Between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Trade Union sides of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council Sept. 20,” Nta concluded.
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