The Adamawa State Government has described as rude the ‘hard line’ position of the Organised Labour in the state over minimum wage for senior civil servants.
The Organised Labour, made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and State Public Service Negotiation Council (SPSNC), had after a meeting on Tuesday accused the state government of frustrating negotiations of consequential adjustments aimed at determining minimum wage for senior civil servants.
It had in a bulletin after its meeting, given the state government one week to implement agreements earlier reached by the trade union and the government side of the public service negotiation council on the consequential adjustments.
Reacting on Friday to the stance of the Organised Labour, the state Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Dr Umar Pella, said in a statement, “The government notes with dismay the rather rude and threatening tone of the bulletin and believes as a partner in the progress of the state, the organised labour can do and say better in pursuit of its legitimate demands.”
The commissioner said that though the government appreciates the grace period offered by labour for the negotiations to be considered, it regards “the threat of not guaranteeing industrial peace after one week” as unhealthy.
Umar Pella said Ahmadu Fintiri is a labour-friendly governor, “having prioritised the payment of workers’ legitimate entitlements” and being among the first to implement the new national minimum wage last year.
He assured that the government remains committed to maintaining the industrial peace that currently prevails in the state.
It could be recalled that the state government began implementation of N32,000 minimum wage for civil servants on level 01 to 06 last year on condition that those on levels 07 upwards would begin drawing their own minimum wage after pending consequential adjustments.
