Federal Government has said that it will add about N833.33 monthly to Federal workers from grade level 01 to grade level 017, adding that the new minimum wage for grade level 01 step 1 will now be N18.900.
The development indicated that about N10.800 per annum was added to all the workers across board, a circular based on the table would soon be issue by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
Speaking shortly after signing the final agreement on matter regarding minimum wage, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said the minimum wage and the associated adjustment would be implemented with effect from August 31, 2011.
Senator Anyim also said the arrears of the wages would be paid to workers with effect from March 23, 2011.
He however promised that no workers would be victimised as a form punishment for their participation in unions’ activities leading to the implementation of the new national minimum wage.
The SGF also claimed that a year ago, Federal Government had increased salary with about 53.4 per cent, saying the current issue was the implementation and consequential adjustments across board which shall be limited to the 11bn additional cost per annum to the Federal Government public service wage bill 2011.
“The negotiation is over, so the era of war is over since we are now signing agreement on the minimum wage. On the part of Federal Government, we will put machineries in motion to ensure implementation of the national minimum wage”.
Speaking at the event, NLC President, comrade Abdulwaheed Omar said Federal Government must ensure they respect the agreement by implementing the new table which according to him was far lower than what labour demanded.
But Omar appealed to the Federal Government to ensure what was happening here today is translated to state and other employers of Labour so as to commence the implementation of the new wage.