Lagos State Government has approved the sum of N18,780 as monthly minimum wage for its  public servants  per month .

This was revealed after a parley between the Commissioner for Establishment, Training & Pensions Mr. Jide Sanwo-Olu, the state Head of Service, Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe and the leaders of the 14 approved labour unions  who came together to agree on the the issue of wage increase.

Speaking at a brief ceremony to sign the agreement, Chairman of the state Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Comrade Henry Akinwunmiju and his counterpart at the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Hakeem Kazeem told journalists that a permanent secretary would earn thrice of what a director earns. An indication that a permanent secretary in Lagos public service may be earn up to N1 million per month.

Harping on the permanent secretary’s pay per month, Akinwunmiju said the salary of a level-17 director “was reviewed 179 per cent upward. Hitherto a director on grade level 17, formerly earn 117, 000 but with the new salary structure, it has increase to N 347, 000. The reason been in the federal circular by wages commission, it reads that a director should earn at least one third of what the Permanent Secretary earns.

“We have worked out the 18, 000 minimum wages and it translated 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 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.

On the tax reduction, Comrade Hakeem Kazeem, who is one of the negotiating team, canvassed a 50 percent reduction of the tax currently being paid by the state public servants to enable them enjoy the new pay package.

He said 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 the 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.

Also speaking the Lagos state Commissioner for Establishment, Training & Pensions Mr. Jide Sanwo-Olu acknowledged the doggedness and tenacity of the representatives of the labour unions, though thanked the labour leaders for showing understanding in the course of the negotiation.

“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,” he said.

Posted by admin on Feb 9 2011. Filed under Lagos, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry