In a recent development, President Bola Tinubu has granted approval for a provisional wage increase of N35,000 to all federal government employees whose salaries are managed by the treasury.
This disclosure was contained in a press statement issued by Mallam Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, on Sunday.
This increment is set to last for a period of six months, following extensive consultations with a delegation from the Federal Government.
The delegation had engaged in discussions with the leadership of both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Sunday.
During the meeting, the Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to expedite the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to alleviate the challenges faced by the public due to the removal of the PMS subsidy.
Additionally, the government pledged support for micro and small-scale enterprises, along with a six-month waiver on VAT for diesel.
Furthermore, the Federal Government announced its intention to initiate payments of N75,000 to 15 million households, disbursed at a rate of N25,000 per month, for a three-month duration from October to December 2023.
Meeting Highlights between the FG and labour unions
Considering the discussions held between the Federal Government and labour representatives, the following key points emerged:
- The Federal Government implored the labour unions not to engage in strike action, emphasizing that the resolution of the disputes hinges on a productive work environment.
- Labour Unions advocated for a higher wage increment.
- A sub-committee will be established to delineate the specifics of implementing various government interventions aimed at mitigating the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
- Urgent attention needs to be directed towards resolving the ongoing issues between the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State.
- The NLC and TUC will carefully consider the offers put forth by the Federal Government, with a view to potentially suspending the planned strike, enabling further consultations regarding the implementation of the resolutions.
Participants at the meeting between the FG, NLC
Participating virtually in the meeting were Governor Abdulrazak Abdulrahman of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), as well as Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State. The meeting was chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Also present at the meeting were:
- Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun
- Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris
- Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong
- Minister of State, Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha
- Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu
- Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu
- Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite
- Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan
- National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu
The labour delegation was led by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, Deputy President of TUC, Dr. Tommy Etim Okon, NLC General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, and TUC General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, among others.
