NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT WILL RETRENCH WORKERS TO MEET N580 BN WAGE BILL, SAYS MINISTER

The Minister said that federal government was avoiding a situation where it would have to lay off workers, noting that throwing workers into unemployment would add to their burden and pleaded with labour to accept the consequential adjustment from levels 7 to 17.

Penpushing further reports that, Nigige stated that government had only three months left to implement the new wage adding  that government would not promise labour what it could not pay, noting that no worker deserved to be owed salary.

The Minister disclosed that the federal government had so far paid arrears of N500 billion to workers, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, and restated that implementation of the new wage had since commenced for workers on grade level 1 to 6, adding that the development had helped those on the lower cadre in the civil service to move up.

Penpushing recalled that government had told labour unions that it could only pay 9.5 per cent salary raise for employees on grade levels 07 to14 and five per cent for those on grade levels 15 to17,but labour is demanding 30 per cent raise for officers on grade levels 07 to 14 and 25 per cent for those on grade levels 15-17.