The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, has said that unrealistic demand from senior civil servants is delaying the implementation of the new Minimum Wage.
Negotiation between the Federal Government and the Joint National Public Negotiation Council broke down two weeks ago because of differences in percentage increase in the salaries of workers.
While the FG representatives in the technical committee set up to negotiate the consequential increase had proposed 9.5 per cent salary increase for workers on Grade Levels 07 to 14 and five per cent increase for employees on Grade Levels 15 to 17, labour representatives are demanding for 30 per cent salary increase for workers on Grade Levels seven to 14 and 25 per cent for workers on Grade Levels 15 to 17.
While speaking with journalists at the opening ceremony of a retreat on 2017-2020 federal civil service strategy and implementation plan organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in Abuja on Monday, Oyo-Ita said the FG under President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to the implementation of the new Minimum Wage, calling on labour to review its demands.
She said, “President Buhari is keen on the implementation of new Minimum Wage and that is why the committee set up on the consequential adjustment arising from the new Minimum Wage has been meeting unions within labour union and public service to arrive at a consequential adjustment.
“There were a few not very realistic demands from the unions and so as not to continue delaying the implementation of the well thought out and dear policy of the President, we have to go ahead and seek his approval for the implementation while we continue discussion on the consequential adjustment.”
PUNCH
