The State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) after a meeting with the state governor agreed that the suspension of the payment of the new minimum wage for levels 7 to 17 be lifted with effect from September 1st, 2020.
The State NLC chairman, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, on Friday disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Asaba, shortly after he paid a working visit to the Special Adviser (SA), to the governor on SERVICOM and Labour, Mr. Mike Okeme, in his office.
Comrade Ofobruku said that he was pained by the sudden hike in both fuel and electricity tarrif by the Federal Government, at a time like this when Nigerians are finding it difficult to survive due to the serious effect of the covid-19 pandemic in the nation’s economy.
He stressed that the earlier agreement was a six months period on the condition that as soon as things improved ,the state government would stop the deduction, adding that the deduction had to stop as a result of the cost of living coupled with the hike in fuel and electricity bills, stressing that workers must not always be the victims of such effect.
He appreciated workers in the state for their patience and understanding all through the period under review and promised that more better things were on the way for them.
He commended the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, for his effective leadership, people oriented policies and programmes and particularly for being workers friendly.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the governor on SERVICOM and Labour, Comrade Mike Okeme, said government promised to stop whenever there was improvement and as such had just decided to stop the deduction and commended the Governor for having a listening hear.
Comrade Okeme, who noted Dr. Okowa had continued to have the plights of workers in the state while assuring civil servants in the state of governments support at all times.
It would be recall that The Story, was the first online newspaper platform to break the reversion to the new minimum wage.
