Anambra State Government says it will commence implementation of the New National Minimum Wage by January, 2020.
Anambra State Head of Service, Barr. Harry Uduh dropped the hint in a chat with our correspondent in Awka.
The journey to a new National Minimum wage has been a tortuous one, with many industrial actions that culminated in the #30,000 wage that Government and the Organized Labour eventually arrived at.
In Anambra State, workers have feared that the Government will not implement the new wage and when their expectation that the State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano will make a pronouncement on the issue during the 2019 Public Service Day celebration did not pan out, tensions heightened.
But in a reaction, the Anambra HOS, Barr Uduh said they have met with the Organised labour, itemized their demands and forwarded them to the governor while we expect his response soon.
“The commitment to pay is already there. What is left is what is to be paid. The minimum of #30,000 is already a done deal, it is the adjustments as you go up. What it means is that the least civil servant will earn #30,000. Then as you go up other grade levels, what do you pay them, that is what is being negotiated. And the Federal circular is very clear on the basis for any subsequent negotiations,” Uduh pointed out.
He revealed that the governor has also promised to increase the workers salaries beyond the new minimum wage if they help him increase the state internally generated revenue to #3 billion monthly.
According to Uduh, “the governor has done it before in 2015 when he increased workers’ salaries by 15 percent without prompting. So the onus lies on the workers to meet their own part of this bargain and the governor will in turn reciprocate.”
