Minimum wage: Use FG’s template to pay us, Anambra workers tell Soludo

Anambra labour leaders, on Friday, appealed to Governor Charles Soludo to use the Federal Government’s template to compute the workers’ new minimum wage.

The President, Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Anambra Chapter, Nicolas Aromeh, made the appeal in Awka, while briefing newsmen on the workers’ expectations from the new minimum wage.

Mr Aromeh said that the organised labour in the state, comprising the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and NULGE, “are collectively appealing to Soludo, in the interest of workers, to use the chart released by the Federal Government.

“Yes, there is an issue of new minimum wage on ground and the labour leaders, including NLC, TUC and NULGE, have been meeting with the governor on the matter.

“In Anambra, unfortunately, the  governor is not getting it right, because from what we have seen from him and his team, we are not happy, especially in the areas that affect salaries Grade Levels eight to 17, government’s proposal is nothing to write home about,” he said.

Mr Aromeh further said that though the government is basing its argument on its internally generated revenue, but available reports show that Anambra is far better than a number of states that have adopted the Federal Government’s template for the new minimum wage.

“The Federal Government’s chart must be used and not for the state to adopt a discriminatory package for workers on different grade levels.

“If what the state is bringing to the table is allowed, it means that as you progress, your take home pay will continue to go down,” he said.

The NULGE boss wondered why a worker on Grade Level one, step one, would earn N70,000 plus, while a staff on Grade Level eight would also earn N70,000 plus every month.

“It is wrong. The real thing should be done.

“NULGE is not happy about it and seriously pleading with the Anambra Government and Mr Governor as the father to use the chart used by the Federal Government.

“Gov. Soludo is friendly with Anambra workers and NULGE in particular, but on this new minimum wage, he is not protecting the collective interest of the workers.

“Our collective stand is that the normal chart be used, and everything worked out based on percentage.

“We are optimistic that he will do something, urgently, because he knows the economic hardship facing the workers,’’ he said.

Mr Aromeh said that all the workers in the country operate in the same market and economy, hence no state should apply a template different from the one released by the Federal Government.

“If our governor does not adopt the Federal Government’s template, we have other options than giving him ultimatum or going to court because we do not want to bring problem in the state,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the government would reason with the workers to use the Federal Government’s template, due to the current economic hardship in the country.