The Federal Government has announced that the payment of the new minimum wage will commence from July 2024, contrary to earlier promises.
Ekpo Nta, Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), made this revelation during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to Nta, the payment date was chosen because it was the day President approved the bill after the National Assembly passed it. However, this decision has been met with criticism from labor unions, who describe it as “unfair” and “unacceptable”.
“The backdating to July is not fair. It is not acceptable,” said Benson Upah, Head of Information of the Nigerian Labour Congress. Timmy Etim, National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress, also expressed disappointment, stating that the government had reneged on its promise to implement the new minimum wage in May, as announced by the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha.
Government’s Reasoning
Nta clarified that the President approved the revision of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure with effect from July 29, 2024. He emphasized that any federal public service that had not received a circular to this effect should contact the NSIWC for further directives.
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“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,” Nta explained.
Implications
The delayed payment date means that the government would only pay arrears of two months if it begins payment by the end of October. This decision has sparked concerns among labor unions, who feel that the government is not prioritizing the welfare of workers.
The Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries for civil servants had previously agreed that the effective date for implementation of the new minimum wage be set at July 29, 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 making its decision.
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