From Ikenna Esogibe, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Imo State, has stated that there is no increase yet in workers salary, lamenting over the state government’s non compliance to N40,000 minimum wage to workers.
Governor Hope Uzodimma, had at a stakeholders meeting in Owerri, announced an increase of N10,000 to the N30,000 Minimum wage paid to workers in the State, as part of measures to cushion the biting effects of the removal on fuel subsidy.
The NLC, in a letter to the Governor dated 10/8/2023, signed by the Union’s Chairman, Rev Dr. Nwansi Phillip,(JP) and Chairmen of other affiliate unions, stated that “since after the last salary payment for the month of July 2023, most workers of the state mainly from Grade level 07 to Grade level 14, there has been reports of no addition in the net salary of the category of these workers.
“It was expected that addition of extra N10,000 to the National Minimum Wage of N30,000 and its consequential adjustment could have added much increase to the net take home of these workers.
“It is also observed that the only additions on the salary of workers of this cadre is less than N1,000 and some no additions at all thereby painting the good intentions of Your Excellency of alleviating the pains of Imo State workers due to the removal of fuel subsidy” part of the letter stated.
The Union however expressing gratitude to the governor “to improve the welfare of Imo State workers including the palliatives the Governor rolled out to cushion the effect of suffering of workers as a result of the increase of cost of living in the country”
As a way out of non compliance to the increment, the NLC suggested “a Committee of Government and Labour be set up to consummate it into a Government Salary table. This will enable each workers of the State know how the increase has reflected on their take home since the only salary table in place in the State is 2011 National Minimum Wage of N20,000”
“We therefore appeal that the addition of N10,000 to the negotiated National N30,000 National minimum wage making it N40,000 Minimum wage for the state as pronounced by His Excellency during the last stakeholders meeting be properly implemented to reflect the good intentions and good will of our amiable governor in order to cushion the negative effect on the fuel subsidy removal” the letter concluded.
