Labour Ministry Urges Calm, As Payment Of Consequential Minimum Wage Arrears To Education Sector Workers Commences
Oru Leonard
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Nigeria has urged leaders in the education sector to remain calm as payment process of arrears of the consequential minimum wage is on going.
This follows complaints emanating from leaders of some education sector-based unions that their members were yet to receive the arrears of the Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment, which the Federal Government had since approved and started paying from the Office of Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) for disbursement to the affected employees in the Education Sector.
On receiving the complaints, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Dr. Chris Ngige has contacted the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), which both confirmed that payments had since commenced. The Minister further elicited firm assurances that all workers who are yet to receive their payment, would be paid before the end of the week.
Among those affected are the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
Consequently, the Honourable Minister appeals to the unions to remain calm, assuring that the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, remains committed to meeting its obligations to them on this issue of the payment of the Consequential Minimum Wage arrears as agreed at the last conciliation meeting. Sen. Dr. Ngige also said the Federal Government had made strenuous effort to cash-back this payment, necessitating the release of the ongoing payment by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning since May 19, 2022, one month earlier than the agreed date of June 16, 2022, as a sign of good faith to enable the affected unions to call off the present industrial action (strike) especially in the universities. About N34bn is being spent on this exercise.
