Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has promised to increase the new minimum wage recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He revealed this during a rally to mark the 2019 May Day celebration which held at the University of Benin Sports Complex in Benin City, the state capital.
Speaking on the theme, “Another 100 years of struggle for jobs, dignity and social justice in Nigeria,” the governor noted that the increment would take place if the workers work hard to increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
“If we can improve on our revenue, I will increase our minimum wage. We should make sure we commit ourselves to higher productivity,” he stated.
On the implementation of the new minimum wage, Obaseki stated that the state government would set up a joint committee while awaiting further guidelines for the payment from the National Salary and Wages Commission.
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He also promised the workers that his administration is working on plans to harmonize pension based on the new minimum wage, stressing that the payment of backlog of pension and gratuity arrears is underway.
Reacting, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Comrade Sunday Osayande commended the governor for seeing to the welfare of the workers.
“We commend our governor for creating the atmosphere in the state for investors to contribute to our development as jobs have been created in the state under the Obaseki-led administration”
“We also commend Obaseki for the infrastructural development in the state especially on the construction of roads across the state. Thank you for the prompt payment of workers’ salaries, payment of pension arrears, as pensioners are smiling today,” he stated.
Similarly, Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Marshall Ohue, thanked the governor for making the state suitable for businesses to thrive through positive economic policies.