govt can’t meet Labour’s wage demand – TheNigerialawyer

– Parties shift grounds as talks continue today
– ULC rejects strike plan, negotiation

THE Federal Government cannot meet the demand of Labour in the
new minimum wage regime, Minister of Labour and Employment Chris
Ngige, said on Tuesday.

According to him, the economy will grind to a halt like that of
Venezuela, should the government accede to Labour’s request, the
minister added.

Although the Federal Government has started paying workers on
Grade Levels 1 to 6, the N30,000 minimum wage, there is
disagreement with Labour unions over the percentage of increment
for senior workers.

Ngige said about 1.4 million workers in federal public service
would take 33 per cent of government budget in 2020, should
Labour’s demand be accepted.

Ngige explained that the government would have no money to build
roads, airports, rails, health centres and schools if it should
spend 33 per cent of the 2020 budget to pay salaries and wages.

The government cannot shut down the economy because it wants to
pay workers’ wages, he said.

However, after talks yesterday, both the government and Labour
shifted grounds in their positions on the implementation of the new
wage.

The negotiations will continue on Wednesday (today) in
Abuja.

Also on Tuesday, the United Labour Congress (ULC) foreclosed its
participation in the strike call by the Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Ngige, who spoke while receiving members of the Nigeria Union of
Local Government Employees (NULGE), led by its National President,
Ibrahim Khaleel, in Abuja said: “We cannot allow government to shut
down the economy because it wants to pay salaries and wages. The
2020 Budget of N10.3 trillion has N3.8 trillion as personnel cost
without overhead. If you add running cost and other incidental
costs, the total recurrent budget as presented to the National
Assembly has taken 76 per cent. Where do we get the money to build
roads, airport, rails, health centres, schools etc.

“It is a matter of balancing a budget that is 76 per cent
recurrent and 24 per cent capital, for me, it is nothing to cheer
about. In the 76 per cent, government has captured N200 billion for
consequential adjustment for the minimum wage and so on. These are
all part of personnel. N160 billion is for consequential adjustment
of the minimum wage and not total package of workers’ salaries.
Everybody has to make sacrifice. We must plug leakages.

“The ghost workers should go and we should know who the real
workers are. As of today, we have 1.3 million persons in the
federal civil service and maybe it will be more by the time we
finish bringing everybody into the IPPS.

“The number of workers, 1.4 million or 1.5 million out of 200
million people take 33 per cent of the budget which has deficit. It
is important we know this. It is up to us to use all the money to
pay salaries and the economy will grind to a halt and be like
Venezuela.”

The minister urged labour to make sacrifice by accepting what
the government have offered.

The minister said that he would not sit and watch labour
intimidate government.

“We must give government benefit of the doubt. I am for labour
and I will not sit and watch the being cheated. I will also not
seat and watch labour intimidate government. If you dangle strike,
it is intimidation and ILO Convention does not permit it.

“People should negotiate freely. If government threatens you in
the course of negotiation, it is intimidation.

“I am your friend and friend of government. In fact, government
feels I am not doing enough. That is why I am talking to you so
that you can talk to your people,” he said.

The Federal Government and Labour leaders yesterday shifted
grounds as talks resume today on the consequential adjustment on
the salaries of senior civil servants.

Tuesday’s parley between the Federal Government team, Labour
unions and and members of the Joint National Public Service
Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) ended without the parties agreeing on
what to adopt as consequential adjustment on the new minimum
wage.

The decision to continue with the negotiation by 2pm today
foreclosed the kick-off of the planned nationwide strike by workers
over the non-implementation of the minimum wage for workers on
Grade Levels seven to 17.

It was learnt that Labour shifted its earlier position from 29
per cent to 25 per cent for grade levels seven to 14 and 20 per
cent for levels 15 to 17 as against the earlier demand of 24 per
cent.

The Federal Government shifted its earlier position and offered
to pay 17 per cent to levels seven to nine; 15 per cent to levels
10 to 14 and 12 per cent to levels 15 to 17.

The Federal Government had proposed to offer 11 per cent
increase for officers on grade levels 07 to 14 and 6.5 per cent
adjustment for workers of grade levels 15 to 17.

The Labour team was led by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Deputy
President Amaechi Asogwuni, General Secretary Emmanuel Ugbaoja,
JNPSNC Secretary, Alade Lawal, President of Nigeria Union of Local
Government Employees, Ibrahim Khaleel, and JNPSNC member, Lawrence
Amaechi

On the government team led by the Head of Service of the
Federation (HoCSF), Mrs. Folashade Yemi- Esan, were Ngige, Minister
of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo and the Acting
Chairman, National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Mr. Ekpo
Nta.

Asogwuni told reporters after the meeting that lasted for more
than eight hours that he was hopeful that an agreement would be
reached at tomorrow’s (today’s) meeting.

He said: “So far, commitment has been shown, but we believe that
the areas still in contest are critical. Therefore, the government
representatives are urged to also on their part, see how they can
shift ground positively in order to mitigate the agitation
ahead.

The HoCSF said: “We had a very fruitful deliberation today. The
Labour side has discovered that there is just one side – the
welfare of the workers. So, we worked very well today (yesterday).
Both sides have made a lot of concessions but we discovered that
there are some grey areas that need to be ironed out.”