Gombe State government has said that it has been paying N40,000 during the former N30,000 minimum wages in the country.
This, it said was following the state governor, Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya’s earlier approval to add N10,000 each to all workers in the state, an effort to cusion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on its people.
The state deputy governor, Manassah Daniel Jatau, said this while announcing their intentions to start paying the new N70,000 minimum wages in the state.
The additional N10,000 to workers in the state was a palliative support that started in September last year, automatically taking the minimum wage to N40,000.
Mr. Jatau, who is also the chairman, Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage negotiation in Gombe, stated this during a press briefing at the conference hall of his office, where he noted that the welfare of workers is a top priority of their government.
He explained that the governor has set a machinery in motion and the standing committee has been fine-tuning to see to the implementation of the new minimum wage.
“Government has set the machinery for the implementation of the new national minimum wage in Gombe State. Let me assure you that His Excellency the Governor is fully determined to pay the minimum wage. Unlike what you have been hearing in some quarters that the governor said he won’t pay. No, not at all. His Excellency is one of the governors in the fore front of payment of the new minimum wage,” he said.
He however pointed out that the negotiation committee has decided to separate the monthly salaries from the N10,000 palliative pending when conclusion is reached in order to prepare the civil servants on knowing their exact salaries when the minimum wage is finally agreed upon.
”Effective from this month of August, the normal salary will be paid, then after two days the ten thousand naira palliative will be paid to help the worker know his actual salary and this will continue until the new minimum wage is agreed upon. We are now waiting for the salary table from the federal government before we commence the negotiation. Once we reach an agreement the implementation will begin and the 10,000 naira palliative will stop,” he clarified.
Similarly, the Nigeria Labour Congress Chairman, Mr. Yusuf Aish, also a member of the tripartite committee, has confirmed that this was the position reached at the committee’s meeting.
According to a statement signed by Wilson Jonah Yakubu, press secretary, information officer, deputy governor’s office, Mr. Aish also explained some issues regarding the committee’s decisions.
Quoting the labour chairman, he said, “we had a brief discussion during our negotiation in the last 30,000 naira minimum wage due to some balance of some payment where we have agreed that this committee is a standing committee of minimum wage negotiation in the state.”
“As a result this same committee met to begin negotiation on the new 70,000 naira national minimum wage. However, in our tripartite committee meeting we have agreed to wait for the time the new minimum wage table as approved by the federal government will be released. Whenever it is released we will start full negotiation with a view to reaching an agreement on what is to be paid in Gombe State,” he added.
