Negotiating the implementation of the new minimum wage will not be a formal or
simple matter. We have to win the best possible increase for our members. We have to
avoid this process taking years.
The NLC Secretariat in each state needs to ensure, through vigorous negotiations, that
the new wage is implemented in all public and private sector organisations in each state.
In the public sector this includes state, local government and state owned enterprises.
Care should also be taken to ensure that pensioners are provided with the proper
consequential adjustment. It should be possible for the minimum wage to be fully
implemented within two months of the Act having been assented to by the President on
29th July.
We cannot afford to wait years for the new minimum wage to be implemented. This is
after all the law, not just an agreement with the trade unions. Negotiations for full
implementation of the new minimum wage should be robust and warnings should
quickly be given for strike action where governors are not prepared to take the
necessary action.
It is not simply the issue of no-one being paid less than N70,000. This is for grade level
one, step one. But no workers should be on this grade level. The minimum grade level
for state workers should be GL4, step 2. For Federal workers this should be GL3, step 4.
This means that no public sector worker should be paid less than around N110,000 and
in some states this will be N115k to N120k. The relevant trade unions will have to
ensure that the details are negotiated carefully to ensure that no trade union member
loses out.
In addition to the lowest paid workers, the trade unions will have to ensure that the
consequential adjustment is correctly applied. The Federally agreed salary scales should
be used as a guide by each state for all state and local government workers to ensure
proper consequential adjustments. The template for this should be agreed by the
National Salaries, Incomes & Wages Commission.
In addition, the trade unions should ensure that the pensioners are given the proper pay
increase. This should be commensurate with the new National Minimum Wage.
Legally, the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024 comes into force on the
date the Act was assented to by the President (29th July). However, the trade unions
should ensure that implementation starts from April 2024, when the previous minimum
wage expired. The Minister of State, Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha announced at the
May Day celebrations in Eagle Square that the new minimum wage would be paid from
1st May, once it had been agreed.
Download Guidelines for Negotiating Implementation- ₦70k minimum wage with the link below:
https://ivavalleybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Negociating-N70k-minimum-wage.pdf
