6th July, 2022
By Joan Nwagwu
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday reiterated its call on the Federal Government to review workers’ salaries.
Its President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, made the call when he spoke with newsmen, adding that the last salary review for civil servants was done in 2009 with an increase of 53.3 percent.
He said that the salary review for the entire public sector was imperative as it was long overdue, noting that workers’ purchasing power was ebbing.
Wabba noted that there had not been any salary increase for workers in the public sector in the last 13 years outside the implementation of the National Minimum Wage.
“We should not confuse the National Minimum Wage with salary review. Salary review is a different bargaining process which in time past was led by the Joint Service Negotiation Council. It is long overdue,’’ he said.
According to Wabba, economic challenges had eroded the purchasing power of ordinary workers so much that the minimum wage could no longer take a worker home, and could barely be used as transport fare.
“We want to make a formal demand on behalf of the Joint Service Negotiation Council for the review of wages in the entire public sector because it is actually due,’’ he said.
NAN