States were split yesterday over the agreement the Federal Government reached with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, on Monday night to pay N35,000 wage award to federal workers to cushion the effect of petrol subsidy removal.
While some of the states said they would align with the Federal Government’s N35,000 wage award for its workers, others said they had already started paying their workers N10,000, even before the Federal Government award, and would therefore, not be bound by the central government’s move.
Recall that the Federal Government had, in the agreement, accepted to continue payment of the wage award until a new minimum wage is arrived at next year.
In Kwara State, the government said it had already started paying N10,000 wage award to its workers, even before the Federal Government and promised to continue to pay but was silent on its readiness to upscale it to N35,000.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said yesterday: “KWSG started awarding extra N10,000 to every civil servant since July, apparently pioneering some sort of cash award.
He said: “This is to support them until a new minimum wage comes on stream. Some other pro-worker measures, including reduction of work days from five to three, have also been implemented in different sectors to strengthen the purchasing power of workers, with positive impacts on the larger economy.
“The government will continue with these measures and more, such as the N10,000 cash award to students of Kwara State origin, to bring more ease to the people.
“The Kwara State government commends the step of the federal government. It is, of course, expected that other states that do not already have such arrangements will follow suit with sustainable amounts that align with their own financial realities.”
But in Enugu State, the government agreed to replicate the federal government’s wage award of N35,000 for its workers.
Enugu State Commissioner for Labour and Employment, Chika Ugwuoke, told Vanguard that the state will definitely structure subsidy removal palliative measures in the format the Federal Government had designed to alleviate the plight of workers in the state.
Ugwuoke said that the state government had already started with smooth distribution of palliatives provided by the Federal Government.
“Enugu State was very prompt in the distribution of palliatives to our people and this wage award won’t be any different,” Ugwuoke said.
On his part the Enugu State Chairman of NLC, Fabian Nwigbo, said they were part of the team that negotiated wage award which he disclosed was meant for federal, state and local government workers.
“I can only speak for my state which is Enugu and we are confident that the governor here will implement it.’’
In Abia State, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alex Otti, Mr. Kazie Uko, said the state government is yet to know the details of the agreement on the proposed wage increase between the federal fovernment and labour and how it will apply to states.
Uko explained that until the details are made clear, there is nothing much the state could do over the issue.
‘He said: “The proposal or offer is still between the federal government and labour unions. Nothing has been presented to the state government yet in that regard. Until such is done, there is nothing the state can do.”
In Cross Rivers State, Governor Basey Otu, said the state is already paying N10,000 wage award to its workers but refused to state whether it would key into the federal government’s N35,000.
“We gave the federal government the example. We have paid our civil servants the sum of N10,000 every month. We are going to keep paying them that for now.”
In Bayelsa State, a senior government official who pleaded anonymity, said: “It is not a question for us yet. If labour is negotiating with the federal government, states are not negotiating with labour. Remember that states will decide what they want, based on their financial situation.”
Peoplesmind
