The Nigeria Labor Congress Akwa Ibom State chapter has denied the implementation of N30,000 minimum wage as claimed by state government’s radio announcement.

The state Government had aired announcement which according to the labour has not yet been mutually agreed on.

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The Head of civil Service, Effiong Essein, had in a statement on Tuesday said the state Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has approved the implementation of the new N30,000 Minimum Wage in Akwa Ibom state with effect from December 2019.

He said the gesture was in fulfillment of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s earlier assurances to the workers on the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage.

“The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, has adopted and approved the payment of the New Minimum Wage in Akwa Ibom State with the Federal Government Negotiated Consequential adjustment percentages increase with effect from January, 2020,” he said.

But reacting to the news, the state chairman of the NLC, Comrade Sunny James said the Union did not agree with the proposal of government to pay the federal percentage of consequential adjustments on grade level 7-14

“We asked them to put something on level 7-14 which is still down, so they went and announced on radio when they don’t have such right to do so. What they have done is wrong in the interest of collective bargaining.

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“What you have heard is government’s report, the Union now is arranging its house and we are going to give our own report.”

James said the Union was insisting on the percentage already approved by governments in the Niger Delta States, including Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa.

The Union boss was surprised that the state hurried to declare the federal government percentage which was rejected at a meeting held last Thursday, rather than resolving it.

On pension, the state labour boss said the state government had yet to harmonize anything on pension with the Union, adding that the committee set up by the state government to investigate the difference in salaries of health workers had not received its report.