Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has stated that the N35,000 salary award deal with the Federal Government will remain in effect until a new minimum wage is set.
Ajaero revealed this during an interview with journalists in Abuja on Monday.
Recall that on October 1, 2023, President Bola Tinubu authorised a N35,000 temporary salary increase for all workers who get payment from the Treasury for a period of six months.
The pay award was a component of a deal struck with organised labour to mitigate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
The salary award, which started in September 2023, has only received two months’ worth of payment from the federal government.
While speaking about the payment of the salary award, Ajaero stated that the payout would only last six months until the national minimum wage was implemented.
He said:
“We did not sign a six-month wage agreement with the Federal Government; we signed a wage agreement that will be in existence until the new minimum wage is determined.
“We are in the process of collating the compliance of the federal government on the payment of the wage award, and we have even had a conversation with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, on this.
“We have asked our affiliates to collate the level of compliance with this, and we are still waiting for their correspondence.”
cc: Daily Post Ng
