While speaking on a Channels TV programme, Politics Today, which aired on Thursday, President Muhammadu Buhari’s special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adeshina, said that the proposed N30, 000 as minimum wage for civil servants, is not feasible.
According to PREMIUM Times who monitored the interview, Adesina noted that some governors were unable to pay the N18, 000, not to talk of N30, 000.
He said; “So if they can’t pay N18, 000 and labour is asking for N30, 000 and they refuse to come lower, there may be a stalemate which will not be good for the country. I think in the spirit of negotiation, labour should not insist on N30,000.”
When asked that if the political class, “particularly members of the All Progressives Congress (APC)”, agree to reduce their salary, will the states be able to pay the N30,000 minimum wage? Adesina replied; “I doubt”.
“Even if they decide not to collect anything, it still doesn’t take care of N30,000 minimum wage. It doesn’t.
“Maybe if the members of the national assembly concede part of their salaries and allowances, it can make a dent on minimum wage. But other office holder’s don’t earn anything outrageous.”
Recall that the labour unions, had initially demanded N50,000 minimum wage, and later said N30,000 was agreed upon during the negotiation.
The organised labour has also rejected the proposal of the federal government to raise the minimum wage from N18,000 to N24,000.
The Labour Unions have also agreed to go on a national strike on November 6th if the government fails to adopt the N30, 000 minimum wage.
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