tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13209818.post2135488609256094645..comments2024-02-15T09:53:01.271+01:00Comments on Up Naira : Now we're talking. Nigeria's minimum wage doubled.thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362291064620569539noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13209818.post-82778073191126146232010-05-04T11:52:45.099+01:002010-05-04T11:52:45.099+01:00It's not clear whether the increase was actual...It's not clear whether the increase was actually agreed or not. It seems I have to avoid reposting "breaking news" items, if they're going to turn out to be incorrect. <br />Anyway, in the news today:<br /><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201005040007.html" rel="nofollow">Source: AllAfrica.com</a><br />Nigeria: Federal Workers Suspend Strike Action<br />Francis Okeke<br />4 May 2010<br /><br />The planned 5-day warning strike by federal Government workers to press their demand for higher pay, scheduled to start this morning, was called off at the last minute last night after an emergency meeting between top government officials and leaders of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council.<br /><br />The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, signed by Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Stephen Oronsaye and the workers' acting chairman Comrade Olakunle Olaitan, said a Negotiating Team should be inaugurated on Thursday, May 6. It said all issues in dispute between the two parties should be negotiated and the negotiation should be concluded within two weeks. The communiqué also said they noted the appeal by Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to labour leaders at the May Day celebrations last Saturday.<br /><br />Apart from Oronsaye, the government team at the talk included Labour and Productivity Minister Chief Emeka Wogu as well as his Special Duties counterpart Captain Ernest Olubolade.<br /><br />Jonathan had said during the May Day rally at the Eagle Square, Abuja that he had directed the Minister of Labour and Productivity and the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to conclude all negotiations in three months' time and come up with increased wages. Comrade Olakunle Olaitan however said the strike must go on as intended because all their members across the nation had approved and sealed the decision.<br /><br />Federal civil servants are demanding a salary increment of 75.37% but the government, after a series of meetings, only agreed to a 10% increase. They are also calling for the abolishing of the "wide disparity" that exists in the salaries of permanent secretaries and directors in the Service.<br /><br />They decried a situation where "a permanent secretary earns up to ten times what a director earns and it is the directors who do all the work." They called for relativity in the amount earned by all categories of workers "for the sake of justice."thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05362291064620569539noreply@blogger.com