Minimum wage: Ekiti govt, labour reach agreement

The Government of Ekiti State has signed an agreement with organised labour on the implementation of minimum wage and consequential adjustment for workers in core civil service and Local Government Service as well as the judiciary and health workers.

The implementation of the consequential adjustment commences in January 2021.

The new development is a product of a series of meetings between labour leaders and government negotiation team as well as meetings with the state Governor, Kayode Fayemi, at the tail end of last year.

According to a statement made available on the state government website, the new agreement was jointly signed by the government negotiation team and labour leaders in the state on Tuesday evening, wherein it was agreed that the salaries of officers in the civil service be adjusted.

The Agreement

Adjustment for GL13-17 will be implemented by the government based on the recommendation of the Economic Review Committee which will comprise labour and government representatives as allocation improves, while implementation for officers on GL 07-12 will commence by January 2021.

Workers on Grade level 01 to 06 have been enjoying the new minimum wage since October 2019.

It was also agreed that government would not retrench, victimise or intimidate any worker as a result of the implementation and no labour leader would be penalised or sanctioned over roles played in the course of the negotiations.

“It was jointly signed that this agreement has brought to an end the agitation on minimum wage and consequential adjustment for officers on GL 01-12 and shall be implemented for officers on GL13 and above without prejudice”, the document stated.

The Head of Service, Peju Babafemi, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Labour Matters, Oluyemi Esan and Permanent Secretary, Office of Establishments and Service Matters, Bayo Opeyemi, signed on behalf of the government.

The Chair Joint Negotiating Council, Kayode Fatomiluyi, Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo; Chairman NLC, Kolapo Olatunde, NLC Secretary, Akinyemi Taiwo; Chairman Trade Union Congress (TUC), Sola Adegun; and Secretary, Lawrence Kulogun, signed on behalf of Labour.

Ms Babafemi expressed profound gratitude to the government for creating a conducive and peaceful environment for Ekiti workers.

She affirmed that Ekiti is blessed with cerebral, hardworking and diligent officers in the public service who are ready to deliver on the agenda of the government to the people of the state.

“I want to assure the workers that the administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi is committed to their wellbeing. On this note, I urge all our workers to continue to put in their best”, she added.

The Chair, Joint Negotiating Council, Mr Fatomiluyi, speaking on behalf of Labour, said the journey towards signing the agreement was quite hectic and involved serious brainstorming sessions. He added, however, that he was happy that both government and labour have come to a conclusion.

READ ASLO: Minimum wage: Ekiti workers threaten to down tools

He stressed further, that “the organized labour have confidence in our amiable Governor that he walks his talk and we want to believe that what we have signed (today) is in the best interest of our teaming members”.

It will be recalled that the negotiation meeting was put on hold in March 2020, following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prior to that, the government had commenced the implementation of the minimum wage for the junior officers in October 2019.

Governor Fayemi, however, directed that negotiations should resume in November 2020, which led to the signing of the agreement on Tuesday.