FG rejects new civil servant pay

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has shattered hopes for a pay raise for civil and government employees.

Ngige claimed that State House Correspondents misquoted him on the subject in a statement issued in Abuja Friday night by the head of the ministry’s press and public relations office, Olajide Oshundun.

Ngige emphasized that what he was referring to was the pay and benefits of the impacted employees, particularly the government servants.

“Recommendations for reviewing the allowances of several Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government were received by the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS) via the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). The committee addressed the allowances component of the proposals, including the special allowance for Federal Civil Servants among others, since the committee is not currently reviewing the wage component.

He continued by saying that in labor jargon, remuneration, or emoluments, consist of a wage component and an earned allowance component, and serve as par payment for compensation for job performed.

“As a result, the Federal Government via the PCS could not have participated in the evaluation of pay without including the employees through their Unions, represented by the two labor federations of workers in Nigeria: the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC). A Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is often the result of salary review or renegotiation, which is a social conversation that involves both employers and workers, the speaker said.

Ngige said he briefed him on a number of labor-related topics that day, including this one, and made it plain to the press corps that the review of allowances is still in process and would be forwarded to the President for deliberation and ultimate approval.

“It is hoped that this rightful step, which the Federal Government had taken on compassionate grounds without any prodding or threat of strike, will help to cushion the debilitating effects of spiraling inflation, especially that which affects food and energy prices (electricity and petroleum products), ” he continued.

The Minister reaffirmed the committee’s optimism that the proposals would be received and taken into consideration by the President by the end of the first quarter of 2023.