Fed workers to get N70,000 monthly transport allowance
The Federal Government has approved a N70,000 monthly transport allowance for workers for six months starting next month.
It is part of measures to cushion the impact of economic challenges.
The intervention was one of the resolutions reached at a conciliation meeting between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja yesterday.
The meeting agreed that payment of arrears of workers’ peculiar allowance would begin in November in three equal monthly instalments.
It follows the government’s approval of the allowance with effect from May 1.
According to the resolutions, 19 months’ arrears of allowances owed to health workers would be redeemed over three months beginning in December.
The meeting was convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment following the NLC’s concerns over workers’ welfare and demands for improved working conditions.
Other issues discussed include the commencement of negotiations on the national minimum wage, reduction in petrol prices, tax relief for workers, hazard allowance for agricultural workers and the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure.
On the minimum wage, the parties agreed that the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be constituted and begin work immediately.
However, they disagreed on the effective date of implementation.
The Federal Government said it respected the right of organised labour to advocate improved working conditions and was addressing the issues through structured interventions.
On tax relief, the meeting resolved that the matter would be referred to the National Economic Council, noting that taxation was a statutory issue.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had submitted the list of beneficiaries and cost implications for the hazard allowance for agricultural officers to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission for verification.
The verification is expected to be completed within two weeks, after which the commission will issue an implementation template.
The commission is expected to complete an update of the cost implications of the proposed adjustment to the Consolidated Health Salary Structure within three weeks to enable the Presidential Committee on Salaries to take a decision.
The meeting urged state and local governments to key into the intervention process and called on unions to pursue implementation of the resolutions.
Both parties agreed to reconvene after one month to assess the level of implementation.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi; NLC President, Joe Ajaero; Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu; and other government and labour representatives.
