Following the excruciating financial burden occasioned by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Delta State Government has temporally suspended the N30,000 minimum wage for civil servants of grade level 7 to 17 in the state civil service.

NIGER DELTA TODAY Online exclusive learnt that the agreement for the take-off of the decision had already been signed by the State Government with the state leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) after series of meetings.

It was also reliably gathered that on the part of government, elected and political appointees including Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, his deputy, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro and the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori will forfeit between 20 and 25 per cent of their salaries.

Multiple sources, who confirmed the development to NIGER DELTA TODAY Online on Thursday and Friday, said the suspension of the payment will take effect from July salary for a period of six months.
It was however learnt that the state government would return to the status quo if the state revenue record improvement even before the agreed six months reached with the labour leaders.

The deal, according to our sources, was signed last week Thursday after series of meeting on the modalities. NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) witnessed the signing of the agreement.

It was gathered that a delegation of the state government acting on the directive of the state governor, Senator Okowa, told representatives of the NLC and other unions that government can no longer sustain the payment with the current economic reality globally.

The government had at the meeting lamented that it was spending heavily on the management of COVID-19 pandemic so as to contain the spread of the virus as the state is currently sixth on the chart of states with most infected cases in Nigeria.

Recall that Delta was among the first state in the country to implement payment of the new minimum wage.
Our correspondent gathered that the state government delegation had presented three options before the labour leaders during their meetings

The options, according to our sources who were part of the negotiating team, firstly, “that Cooperative and other deductions will not be remitted for the next six (6) months in order to meet the payment of the net salary

NIGER DELTA TODAY Online exclusive learnt that the agreement for the take-off of the decision had already been signed by the State Government with the state leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) after series of meeting

Multiple sources, who confirmed the development to NIGER DELTA TODAY Online on Thursday and Friday, said the suspension of the payment will take effect from July salary for a period of six months.

It was however learnt that the state government would return to the status quo if the state revenue record improvement even before the agreed six months reached with the labour leaders.

It was gathered that a delegation of the state government acting on the directive of the state governor, Senator Okowa, told representatives of the NLC and other unions that government can no longer sustain the payment with the current economic reality globally.

The government had at the meeting lamented that it was spending heavily on the management of COVID-19 pandemic so as to contain the spread of the virus as the state is currently sixth on the chart of states with most infected cases in Nigeria.

Recall that Delta was among the first state in the country to implement payment of the new minimum wage.

How Labour Avoided Retrenchment Of Workers With Deal

Our correspondent gathered that the state government delegation had presented three options before the labour leaders during their meetings

The options, according to our sources who were part of the negotiating team, firstly, “that Cooperative and other deductions will not be remitted for the next six (6) months in order to meet the payment of the net salary

“Secondly, that grade levels 1 to 6 are to receive new minimum wage, while grade level 7 to 17 are to revert to the old wage and the difference to be paid when the economy improves. In other words, they are to sacrifice their percentage increase for the period.”

The third option proposed by the government was retrenchment in the state civil service especially department that were currently redundant and not effective.

It was gathered that after series of negotiation meetings, the union leaders led by the state NLC chairman, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, settled for the third option which recommended the suspension of the payment of the new minimum wage for civil servants of grade level 7 to 17.

https://www.nigerdeltatoday.com/exclusive-delta-suspends-payment-of-30000-minimum-wage-for-civil-servants/

PDP?? Delta people has suffered

okowa why?

Niger delta ought to be the most developed region in Nigeria.

God punish all their past and present leaders.
God punish all NDDC past and present leaders.

that Bayelsa Ehn, with 8lgs.

They have Revenue from the FG
They have 13% of their oil sales
they have NDDC to cater for them

It's not easy to cope as a salary earner in Nigeria.

Echoes of hard times.

Why?

Lol expect more of this

Pdpeegs again?

Anyway, the best option is to simply insult Buhari and his jihadist APC, then life goes on.

Ipob peegs are brainless animals.

If it Aregbesola or Oyetola of Osun, you will see Igbos here

Let's Takes The Plame Covid 19

And this in a period where price of food stuff are still very high. One cup of rice is now 130 naira. Very very shameless move by delta state governor. I spit on you. Covid should have taken your

Corruption!
You placed 'embargo' on employment for donkey years now. Civil slaves/servants go on retirement without replacement. The few ones in service have their children in higher education with heavy tuition fees. Now that you are slashing their salaries, will you equally ask the Universities to slash the tuition fees?

[s]

Sammy07:
Niger delta ought to be the most developed region in Nigeria.

God punish all their past and present leaders.
God punish all NDDC past and present leaders.

that Bayelsa Ehn, with 8lgs.

They have Revenue from the FG
They have 13% of their oil sales
they have NDDC to cater for them

[/s]

[s]

Simplyleo:
Pdpeegs again?

Anyway, the best option is to simply insult Buhari and his jihadist APC, then life goes on.

Ipob peegs are brainless animals.

[/s]

OKOWA IS A FAILURE.And they just introduced property tax in delta state.The looting continues.

Pls nobody shld blame Okowa rather we shld channel pur energy to the most unfortunate NLC chairman who accepted such nonsense.

The people have made their choice, the beauty of democracy.

Poor write up by the journalists as usual. 3 options were presented but report did not list them.

First, there is no way i can verify the effect of the covid 19 on Delta State Economy

I do not trust the Governor to be truthful

There is no way to verify if the Labour leaders were not induced with monetary gifts or threatened with malicious intents.

I can never know

Would we ever know the exact amount Delta state is spending monthly on covid 19?

No

Are we going to know the exact money deducted from civil servants salary?

No

However, deducting people's salary because the state failed to meet its obligation is outright bullying

When have government ever increased Civil servants salary because of surplus even for a month?

Niger-Delta should be way better than every state in Nigeria, but they have the most useless leaders that this country has ever seen. Even so called elder-states men are busy cashing out.