FG explains minimum wage July 29 backpay

The Federal Government through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission has stated that the payment of the new minimum wage will commence from July 2024.

The NSIWC Chairman, Ekpo Nta, said this during a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja.

The commission stated that this was because the date in question was when the President approved the bill after the National Assembly passed it.

The development is contrary to an earlier statement by the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, that the payment would commence on May 1, 2024.

It also means that the government would only pay an arrears of two months only if it begins payment by the end of October.

This was as it announced the approval of the revision of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure and other salary structures.

Last week, the Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries for civil servants met on Friday as regards the new minimum wage template and agreed that the effective date for implementation of the new minimum wage be set at July 29, 2024.

The committee also recommended that the wage award which was discontinued by the government should also be paid up till July 28, 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 it took its decisions.

But reacting in an interview with the Head of Information of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Benson Upah, faulted the decision of the government, describing it as unacceptable.

“The backdating to July is not fair. It is not acceptable,” he said.

He said since the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, had told workers on May Day that the new minimum wage would take effect in May, it was unfair for the government to renege on the promise.

However, giving reasons for the change at the press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the NSIWC chairman said, “The President has approved the revision of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure with effect from July 29, 2024.

“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.”

He added that any federal public service, whether self-funded or treasury funded that had not received a circular to this effect, specifically from the NSIWC, should contact it for further directives.

Nta said, “This is to avoid an uncoordinated implementation which tends to destroy the existing salary relativities in the federal public service.”

He said that NSIWC would issue further directives on how pensioners, NYSC members and interns would benefit from the implementation.

The chairman listed other revised templates to include Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure, Consolidated Universities Academic Salary Structure and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure II.

He said others were: The Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure, Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure and Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.

Nta named others to include: Consolidated Health Salary Structure, Consolidated Para-Military Salary Structure and Consolidated Police Salary Structure.

The rest were: Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure.

“This is consequent to the enactment of the NSIWC Amendment Act 2024 and the Memorandum of Understanding reached by the committee on consequential adjustments in salaries arising from the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024.

”Between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Trade Union sides of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council Sept. 20,” Nta concluded.

Also, the National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress, Timmy Etim, criticised the government’s move.