The Federal Government, through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), has announced that the payment of the new minimum wage will start in July 2024. This statement was made during a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja by Ekpo Nta, NSIWC Chairman.
This date was chosen because it coincided with the President’s approval of the bill, following its passage by the National Assembly, the commission had clarified.
Although, contrary to this, an earlier announcement by the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, who had stated that the payment would begin on May 1, 2024. Consequently, if payments commence by the end of October, the government will only be required to pay two months’ worth of arrears.
Additionally, the NSIWC announced the approval of the revision of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure and other salary frameworks.
Last week, the Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries for civil servants met on Friday as regards the new minimum wage template and agreed that the effective date for implementation of the new minimum wage be set at July 29, 2024.
The committee also recommended that the wage award which was discontinued by the government should also be paid up till July 28, 2024.
The committee headed by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, noted that the government took note of the economic situation in the country before it took its decisions.
But reacting in an interview, Benson Upah, the Head of Information of the Nigerian Labour Congress, faulted the decision of the government, describing it as unacceptable. “The backdating to July is not fair. It is not acceptable,” he said.
Timmy Etim, the National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress, has condemned the government’s decision. He argued that since Nkiruka Onyejeocha, the Mnister of State for Labour assured workers on May Day that the new minimum wage would take effect in May, it is unjust for the government to backtrack on this commitment.
In response to the criticism during the press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the NSIWC Chairman explained, “The President has approved the revision of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure, effective from July 29, 2024.”
“The commission wishes to clarify that the effective date for the commencement of the National Minimum Wage is the 29th of July, 2024 as that was the day Mr President assented to the act after the bill was forwarded to him by the National Assembly.”
He added that any federal public service, whether self-funded or treasury funded that had not received a circular to this effect, specifically from the NSIWC, should contact it for further directives.
Nta said, “This is to avoid an uncoordinated implementation which tends to destroy the existing salary relativities in the federal public service.”
He said that NSIWC would issue further directives on how pensioners, NYSC members and interns would benefit from the implementation.
The chairman outlined additional revised templates, which include the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure, the Consolidated Universities Academic Salary Structure, and the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure II.
He also mentioned the Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure, the Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure, and the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.
Furthermore, Nta identified other structures such as the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, the Consolidated Para-Military Salary Structure, and the Consolidated Police Salary Structure.
Lastly, he listed the Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure and the Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure.
“This is consequent to the enactment of the NSIWC Amendment Act 2024 and the Memorandum of Understanding reached by the committee on consequential adjustments in salaries arising from the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024.
”Between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Trade Union sides of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council Sept. 20,” Nta ended.
