[size=14pt] Lagos pegs minimum wage at N18,780 , level 17 worker gets N347,000 monthly[/size]
Lagos State Government on Monday pegged the minimum wage of public servants at N18, 780 in line with the newly approved consolidated salary structure, which the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola signed on Monday.
Governor Babatunde Fashola
The new scale, which will also see a level 17 worker earning over N347,000, represents an increase of between 69 per cent and 179 per cent.
This disclosure was made at a press briefing in Lagos by the state Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions, Mr. Jide Sanwo-Olu, the state's Head of Services, Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe and the leaders of the 14 approved labour unions, who met to ratify the new pay package.
At the signing ceremony, the Chairman of the state Joint Negotiating Committee, Mr. Henry Akinwunmiju, and his counterpart at the Trade Union Congress, Mr. Hakeem Kazeem, told journalists that a permanent secretary in the state would be earning at least three times what a director would earn.
Akinwunmiju said the salary of a Grade Level-17 director "was reviewed 179 per cent upward. Hitherto a director on Grade Level 17 earned N117, 000, but with the new salary structure, it has increased to N347, 000. The federal circular by the wages commission says that a director should earn at least one-third of what the permanent secretary earns.
"We have worked out the 18,000 minimum wage and it translated into 62.35 per cent, based on the current salary the workers are earning. But what the state government is providing amounted to between 69-197 per cent. The minimum percentage is a 69.6 per cent increase for civil servants between grade levels 1-6 while the others are adjusted until the last grade (17), which now enjoys 179 per cent increase," he explained.
Meanwhile, the unions are also canvassing for 50 per cent tax reduction.
According to Kazeem, who is a member of the negotiating team, a 50 per cent reduction of the tax currently being paid by the state public servants will enable them to enjoy the new pay package.
Kazeem said that the 50 per cent out of the total emolument should "be given to the worker as tax free. What the state government should tax is the remaining 50 per cent of the salary. If this is done, it will go a long way in giving the worker relief so that what the workers will be earning could be regarded as take home pay.
"On housing, Kazeem explained that the union "has been propagating owner/occupier policy. We have been making this demand over a long period of time. The commissioner is giving this assurance in accordance with the demands of the union that owner/occupier housing should be provided for the state workers," he said.
In his remark, Sanwo-Olu acknowledged the doggedness and tenacity of the representatives of the labour unions, and thanked the labour leaders for showing understanding in the course of the negotiation.
He said, "It has been four and five months we started the journey of negotiation. The lesson is for other unions to show understanding. We are not expected to go on strike, but to take our work seriously. We will ensure that all other promised made by the state government will be adequately addressed in the future".
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