After prolonged negotiations, the Cross River State Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have signed an agreement to implement the N30,000 new minimum wage and consequential adjustments.

Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade John Odey, said the agreement, which was arrived at late on Wednesday was expected to commence on the state government’s payroll on March 1, 2020.

Other issues contained in the agreement, he said, included the implementation of outstanding promotions and the return of deactivated names in the service to the payroll.

“We have just signed the minimum wage and the consequential adjustment and it will be implemented in March. We cannot give the figure because the entire table is with the Head of Service.

“We had a figure and a benchmark we were working on and agreed that it could be adjusted in future when the state’s economy improves and that by January 1, 2021 the minimum wage should be reviewed upward,” he stated.Following the breakdown of negotiations on the new minimum wage last week, the NLC in the state issued the state government a seven-day ultimatum to act or labour will go on strike.

A letter dated February 20, 2020, signed by the Chairman, Joint Negotiating Council (NJC), Comrade Juluis Nkoji said, “Sequel to the breakdown of minimum wage negotiations in the state and government’s refusal to implement promotions of civil servants and also restore the names of civil servants deactivated from the payroll in September 2019, organised labour at its meeting of Thursday, February 20, 2020 resolved to issue to government a seven-day ultimatum effective Friday, February 21, 2020 to Thursday, February 27, 2020 to address the issues.”

The union further warned, “Please take notice that failure to attend to the issues on or before the midnight of Thursday, February 27, 2020, labour will have no other option than to embark on industrial action forthwith to press home our demands.” (The Guardian)

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