FG clarifies minimum wage July 29 backpay

The Federal Government through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) has announced that the payment of the new minimum wage will officially begin from July 2024. This was disclosed by the NSIWC Chairman, Ekpo Nta, during a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja.

The commission stated that the date in question aligns with when President  Bola Tinubu approved the bill after the National Assembly passed it.

The announcement is contrary to an earlier statement by the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, that the payment would commence on May 1, 2024.

It also means that the government would only pay an arrears of two months only if the government begins disbursement by the end of October.

This also confirms the approval of the revision of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure and other salary frameworks for federal workers.

Last week, the Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries for civil servants met on Friday as regards the new minimum wage structure and agreed that the effective date for implementation of the new minimum wage be set at July 29, 2024.

The committee headed by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, noted that the government took note of the economic situation in the country before it took its decisions and also recommended that the wage award which was discontinued by the government should also be paid up till July 28, 2024.

However, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the July backdate decision, with NLC’s Head of Information, Benson Upah, expressing discontent and faulting the decision of the government. “The backdating to July is not fair. It is not acceptable,” he said.

Also, the National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress, Timmy Etim, criticised the government’s move, referencing the Minister of State for Labor, Nkiruka Onyejeocha’s previous promise on May Day that the wage would take effect in May.

However, giving reasons for the change at the press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the NSIWC chairman addressed these concerns, clarifying that the minimum wage will take effect from July 29, 2024, as this was the date when the President officially approved the bill.

“The commission wishes to clarify that the effective date for the commencement of the National Minimum Wage is the 29th of July, 2024 as that was the day Mr President assented to the act after the bill was forwarded to him by the National Assembly.”

He added that any federal public service, whether self-funded or funded by the treasury, that has not yet received the circular to this effect, specifically from the NSIWC, should contact it for further directives.

Nta said, “This is to avoid an uncoordinated implementation which tends to destroy the existing salary relativities in the federal public service.”

He added that NSIWC would issue further directives on how pensioners, NYSC members and interns would benefit from the implementation.

The chairman further outlined several revised salary structures, including Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure, Consolidated Universities Academic Salary Structure and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure II.

Other updated structures include The Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure, Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure and Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.

Nta named others to include: Consolidated Health Salary Structure, Consolidated Para-Military Salary Structure and Consolidated Police Salary Structure.

“This is consequent to the enactment of the NSIWC Amendment Act 2024 and the Memorandum of Understanding reached by the committee on consequential adjustments in salaries arising from the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024.

”Between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Trade Union sides of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council Sept. 20,” Nta concluded.