Benue State Government and labour leaders have reached an interim agreement on payment of the N30,000 national minimum wage to civil servants.
Anthony Ijohor, the secretary to the state government, SSG, who briefed journalists on Wednesday, Ddecember 9, 2020, at the end of a meeting with Governor Samuel Ortom, said it was agreed that implementation for civil servants on grade levels one to six should start immediately.
He said implementation for civil servants on grade level seven and above would be put on hold and discussions on same would resume after detailed cleaning of the payroll, which is ongoing.
Ojema Ojotu, the state chairman, Joint Negotiations Councils 1, 2, and 3, said the union leaders agreed with the government based on current realities, including economic recession, which had resulted in a drop in revenue accruals from the Federation Account and the ongoing cleaning up of the payroll.
He said labour unions were following the cleaning exercise and were optimistic it would yield positive results, stressing that it was worrisome for the wage bill to keep increasing when civil servants had retired, with many deaths recorded.
Ojotu, fielding questions from journalists, said the union leaders, who are also part of the payroll cleaning exercise, according to the SSG, have faith in the interim agreement with the government. He added that they would not hesitate to put forward a reminder at the appropriate time.
Source: The Nation
