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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Government in conjunction with the eight local government chairmen have bowed to the demands of organized labour to pay the new N80,000 Minimum Wage to workers in the unified local government service.
The state government also assured that it would add to the December salaries of its workers the differentials that will arise from the ongoing discussions on the template that was used in paying the new wage last month.
The Acting Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made this known at a meeting with the State Minimum Wage Implementation Committee, the eight local government chairmen, and the organized labour leaders representing the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC); the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE); the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT); the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), amongst others.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo urged labour to come up with their computation following the consequential adjustment principle and harmonise the same with the state team before next week for the government to pay the differentials alongside the December 2024 salaries.
He said the decision to pay the new minimum wage to council workers was unanimously agreed by all critical stakeholders including the local government chairmen.
On the issue of the federal government circular for the increment of pensioners’ remuneration, the Acting Governor promised that the government would look at it even as it had already approved an N10,000 increase for pensioners across the board.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, however, made it clear that the state government cannot adopt the payment template of the federal government in implementing the new wage to workers as both do not have the same financial capacity.
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While assuring workers of the government’s commitment to their welfare, he said Bayelsa was already paying a more competitive wage than most states in the South-South in particular and the country at large.
“First, we have agreed that the Minimum Wage for the local governments should also be N80,000.
“Now the difference is the consequential adjustment which we think that we cannot use the Federal Government’s consequential adjustment because the Federal Government’s rates are higher.
“Secondly, the Federal Government has ways and means, but both state and local governments do not have such powers where they can tell the Central Bank to print money for them.
“So, as we go for the consequential adjustment, we will look at what we can carry, and I need all of us to put the survival of Bayelsa State and our councils at the back of our minds as we negotiate…”
‘”We should not fail to understand that the resources that come to the state or local government are not meant for those of us who are politicians and civil servants. The truth is that we constitute only about 15 percent that earns income as salaries.
“While the majority of our people earn social services such as health facilities, education, security, roads, bridges, and other amenities that are also being provided from those same resources. So, I really want to appeal to labour to show understanding.”
Speaking on behalf of organised labour, the State NLC Chairman, Simon Barnabas, thanked the government for approving the New Minimum Wage for workers in the state.
