By Elohor Igbru
This is a very bad news for federal Civil Servants in Nigeria who have been led to believe that a wage increase would soon be announced by the federal government.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen Chris Ngige , on Friday made the clarification in a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations Unit of the ministry, Olajide Oshundun.
The minister said what he talked about when he met State House Correspondents was a review of the remuneration and emoluments of the affected workers, especially the civil servants.
Ngige said: “The attention of the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator (Dr) Chris Nwabueze Ngige OON, has been drawn to the news item that the Federal Government is reviewing salaries of public and Civil servants which was a fallout of his interaction with State House Correspondents after his recent audience with Mr President.
“The Honourable Minister wishes to clarify that the increase he talked about was on the REMUNERATIONS and EMOLUMENTS of the affected workers, especially the civil servants.
“The Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS) through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) received recommendations for review of allowances of many ministries, departments and agencies of government because the salary component is not being reviewed for now by the committee, it addressed the allowances component of the requests including the peculiar allowance for Federal Civil Servants amongst others.
“In Labour parlance as par payment for compensation for work done, REMUNERATION or EMOLUMENT is made up of salary component and earned allowance component.
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“Therefore, the Federal Government through the PCS could not have engaged in the review of salaries without involving the workers through their Unions, represented by the two Labour Federation of workers in Nigeria – The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), salary review or renegotiation is part of social dialogue and the product is usually a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) usually agreed to by both parties – employers and employees.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Honourable Minister made it clear to the press corps that it is still a work in progress and that the end-product of this review of allowances will be submitted to Mr. President for consideration and final approval and that this was one of the Labour issues he briefed him on, that day. It’s hoped that this rightful step which the Federal Government had embarked upon on compassionate grounds without any prodding or threat to strike will help to cushion the debilitating effects of spiraling inflation, especially that which affects food and energy prices (Electricity and Petroleum product).
“The Minister wishes to reassure that the committee is optimistic that Mr. President will receive and consider the recommendations before the end of the first quarter in 2023.”
