Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, had last month disclosed that the Federal Government had approved a pay raise for civil servants in the country.
According to the minister, the wage increase for civil servants was as a result of the current economic reality and it is meant to cushion the effects of rising inflation, and rising cost of living.
Nigerian workers will begin to receive the planned increase in civil servants’ pay by the end of this month.
Olajide Oshundun, the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Labour and Employment, disclosed this while speaking with The PUNCH.
The new pay rise, called consequential allowance, would lead to a 40 per cent increase in the current wages of government workers
Oshundun said that the Federal Government might begin payment of the 40 per cent pay rise by the end of April this year, adding that the three months arrears of January, February and March would be paid at a later date.
President Muhammadu Buhari, is expected to give his final assent for payment any time from now.
He said, “Consequential allowance Salaries will be increased by 40 per cent for civil servants from level 1 to level 17.
“They will start paying from the end of this month (April) and the arrears of January, February and March will be paid later. The salary increase is effective from January 2023. That is the proposal submitted by the committee set up to look into salary adjustment for civil servants, but am not sure if the President has signed it yet.”
The leaders of the organised labour, have however described the proposed pay increase as a meagre allowance that would not be equivalent to a 40 per cent increase in workers’ salaries.
The National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress, Tommy Etim, while reacting to the increase, said the allowance is an increase arising from the peculiar circumstances surrounding the removal of the fuel subsidy and inflation.
According to Etim, “I am aware of the moves by the government and the payment is to start from January. The new payment is not an increase in workers’ salaries.
“It is a peculiar allowance and not an increase in salary, so we don’t misinform the public. It is just an increase in basic salary and not across board.
“Other components are not touched so that the market woman will not think the government has increased salary.
“It is an allowance because of the peculiar circumstances surrounding the removal of fuel subsidy and inflation. An allowance is not a salary. No civil servant has received so I cannot speak authoritatively until it hits everyone’s bank account.”
