The Trade Union Side (TUS), of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), has said the new minimum wage implementation should start from the date it was signed into law to avoid another round of agitation by public service employees and their trade unions. President Buhari had signed the 2019 National Minimum Wage law on April 18th.

The Acting National Chairman and Secretary, Anchaver Simon, and Alade Bashir, respectively, expressed the hope that the Federal Government will keep to its promise made during the negotiation of consequential adjustment.

Assured that government has taken note of the need for a general salary review in the public service, the union also expects that all sides at the just-concluded negotiation had learnt a few lessons. This would enable them to avoid similar mistakes in the future, which include attempts by some fifth columnist on government’s side to derail the collective bargaining process.

While commending stakeholders that participated in the negotiation on consequential adjustment arising from the N30,000 monthly new national minimum wage, the union said representatives of government and organised labour exerted so much energy, dedication, and intellect during the prolonged negotiation on consequential adjustment before reaching an agreement acceptable to both parties.

More particularly, they commended the role played by the leadership of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and that of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in ensuring a successful negotiation

They equally hailed the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, for properly managing the trade dispute when the government side tried to derail the negotiation leading to marathon meetings in his office before an agreement could be reached.

Similarly, they said: “The Acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Folashade Yemi-Esan, also deserved commendation for bringing her motherly disposition to bear on the negotiation process, and for assuring the nation that necessary arrears would be paid.