The Nigerian Government Tuesday, said it would soon increase public servants’ salaries to ease the harsh effects of inflation in the country.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, made this disclosure aftermath of his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Governor of Anambra State revealed that the Presidential Committee on Salaries is currently reviewing civil servants’ salaries and an adjustment would be announced in the new year.
Ngige admitted discussing the issue of salary increase with the president: “Yes, that’s what I am saying that the Presidential Committee on Salaries is working hand-in-hand with the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission. The commission is mandated by the Act establishing them to fix salaries, wages and emoluments in not only the public service.
“If you want their assistance and you are in the private sector, they will also assist you. They have what is called the template for remuneration, for compensation. So if you work, you get compensated, if you don’t work, you will not be compensated.
“So they have the matrix to do the evaluation, so they are working with the Presidential Committee on Salaries Chaired by the Finance Ministry and I’m the co-chair to look at the demands of the workers. Outside this, I said discussions on that evaluation are going.”
Speaking on dateline for the implementation of the new salary increase, he noted: “As we enter the new year, government will make some pronouncements in that direction.”
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He also threw light on the eight months’ unpaid salaries of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying the case is in court for appropriate ruling regarding the no-work-no-pay policy activated by the Federal Government during the strike period.
He stated, “ASUU has not pronounced anything on their salaries anymore because it’s one of the issues that was referred to the National Industrial Court for determination, whether a worker, who is on strike should be paid in violation of section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, which says when you go on strike the consequences are these: number one, you will not be paid, you will not be compensated for not going to work to enable your employer keep the industry or enterprise afloat.
“That money should not be given to you, and that compensation should not be given. It’s there in Section 43 (1). There is a second leg to Section 43, it also says that that period you were on strike would not count for you as part of your pensionable period of work in your service.
“That leg, government has not touched it, but the leg of no-work-no-pay has been triggered off by that strike.
“So, we are asking the court to look at it. So, the matter is out of the hand of the executive (that’s us) and in the hand of the judiciary. ASUU has also put up a defence in court. Asking the court, yes we went on strike, but we did that for a reason. So, it’s now left for the court to look at it.”
