FG increases provisional wage increment to N35,000 to prevent strike

• The presidency announced the development in a statement on Sunday night after meeting with organised Labour
• Gbajabiamila said the government team and the labour leaders have reached some resolutions

As part of the Federal Government frantic effort to avert an industrial action, President Bola Tinubu has ratified N35,000 as the provisional wage increment for all treasury-paid workers for the period of six months.

The presidency announced the development in a statement on Sunday night after meeting with organised Labour.

“Going from the meeting with Labour today, President Bola Tinubu has agreed to increase the provisional wage award for all treasury-paid Federal Government workers to N35,000 for 6 months,” a statement from the presidency on Sunday night reads.

The approval was sequel to the outcome of the meeting between the representatives of the federal government and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to avert the planned indefinite nationwide industrial actions by the unions.

Recall that the unions have directed their members across the country to mobilise for a “shutdown of the nation” on October 3 as a protest against the removal of the petrol subsidy and the economic hardship in the country.

However, Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff (CoS) to Tinubu, who chaired the meeting, announced that the president has approved the N25,000 provisional wage increment for all categories of federal workers.

Tinubu in his Independence Day speech on Sunday morning said that the N25,000 would be for low-grade workers for the period of six months.

But before the resolutions were reached, the labour had rejected the N25,000 provisional wage increment.

Speaking at the end of the four-hour meeting with the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the State House, Abuja, Gbajabiamila said the government team and the labour leaders have reached some resolutions.

“I am happy to say that after four hours, we have reached certain agreements that are for the benefit of the Nigerian worker,” he said.

“Agreements on wage bills, agreements on committees on salary increments, CNG buses, on several other things, I believe, both TUC Labour and government side.

“Hopefully, we expect that labour will call a meeting of their various branches and executive tomorrow to present the agreements that have been reached, and we pray and we believe and we hope that the strike will be called off on Tuesday.

“So I want to once again, thank labour for taking time out on a good Sunday like this one when they should be with their families to come and discuss in the interest of the workers. Thank you very much.”