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By Taofik Jimoh
The Osun State government has declared that it will soon invite organised labour in the state to negotiate the implementation of N35,000 minimum wage.
The new minimum wage was recently announced by the Federal Government in a bid to avert an impending strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC. The Bola Tinubu-led administration also announced several palliative packages for workers.
Among these is the payment of N25,000 to all levels of low paid workers for the next six months. The President thereafter increased it to N35,000 for all civil servants for the next six months.
Speaking on the development, the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, noted that it may be too early to comment on the issue.
“The government will definitely invite the labour leaders for negotiation on the issue”, he said.
On their part, the organised labour in Osun State urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to implement the N35,000 minimum wage.
This was contained in a letter addressed to the state governor, Ademola Adeleke on Friday, October 6, and jointly signed by the acting state NLC Chairman, Modupe Oyedele, the Chairman Osun TUC, Bimbo Fasasi and Joint Negotiating Council chairman, Lasun Akindele.
The union’s leadership expressed confidence in the Governor Adeleke’s ability to take swift action. The labour leaders argued that paying these new salaries would significantly lessen and soften the misery that employees were experiencing as a result of the elimination of the fuel subsidy and its accompanying harsh economic impacts.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress has directed that all State Councils to immediately engage their respective state governments in effecting the agreed sum of Thirty Five Thousand Naira (N35,000) only wage rewards to all categories of workers across board in the state service.
“Your Excellency will recall that the state Labour Movement had already written to you on the subject matter earlier sometime in the month of June and a follow up reminder was also sent in July to that effect.
“The Labour Movement in the state is not in any way in doubt of Your Excellency’s kind disposition towards the workers in the state. We are confident that worker’s welfare is important and very dear to your heart.
“It is therefore in this spirit that we urge Your Excellency to graciously approve the agreed sum of Thirty-Five Thousand Naira (N35,000) only wage rewards to all categories of workers across board in the state service commencing from the
month of September, 2023 as contained in the signed memorandum of understanding that averted the proposed strike.”
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