Minimum Wage: Gombe begins preparation for implementation
The government of Gombe state has called on workers in the state to be calm and patient as the governor is working to setup a team that will engage labor leaders on the implementation of the signed national minimum wage.
According to the state’s head of civil service (HOS), Bappayo Yahaya, the matter will be concluded within the shortest possible time. He assured the workers that their welfare will be top in the priorities of governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s administration in state.
Speaking at the 2019 third triennial delegate conference of the Gombe state branch of Trade Union Congress (TUC), the HOS who represented by Alhaji Jibrin Seyoji, the permanent secretary (PS) general duties disclosed that the government is aware of confidence of the citizens on the administration and that the government is committed to ensuring peace and harmony is maintained across the state.
“I called for the cooperation of all workers so that the civil service can deliver on its objective. The government will ensure training and retraining of civil servant to meet up with global changes in the work place,” the HOS said.
Speaking earlier the chairman of TUC in the state, Ahmed Ture, had appealed to the state government to hasten the implementation process for the new national minimum wage to avoid accumulation of arrears in the state.
He said: “We wish to inform the government that some state have started enjoying the N30, 000 new national minimum wage as enshrine by law. Some state even agreed to pay more than the agreed amount.
In view of that we appealed to the governor to direct the negotiating team to be constituted to speedily start and conclude the negotiation for immediate implementation,” Ture said.
He added saying: “this will be part of fulfilling your campaign promises. We also appreciate the government for prompt payment of workers salaries and starting of the payment of the 2014 retirees benefit in the state”.
However, the government further disclosed that the increment in the new minimum wage has been considered in the 2020 budget of the state and that once the modalities are worked out the implementation would follow suit, as revealed by Alhaji Ahmed Abubakar, the PS ministry of finance and economic development.