We are only reviewing some peculiar allowances not salaries – FG

In a statement released on Friday, the Federal Government clarified that, contrary to previous reports, the peculiar allowances of both federal workers and public employees were under review and not salaries as were recently reported.

This was said in a statement by Olajide Oshundun, Head/Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment’s Press and Public Relations Unit.

Sen. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, was reported in the statement as adding that, in line with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, or CBA, no salary adjustments will be made without approval from the leadership of organized labor.

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The statement read: “The attention of the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator (Dr) Chris Nwabueze Ngige OON, has been drawn to the news item that the Federal Government is reviewing salaries of public and Civil servants which was a fall out of his interaction with State House Correspondents after his recent audience with Mr President.

“The Honourable Minister wishes to clarify that the increase he talked about was on the REMUNERATIONS and EMOLUMENTS of the affected workers especially the civil servants.

“The Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS) through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) received recommendations for review of allowances of many Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government. Because salary component is not being reviewed for now by the committee, it addressed the allowances component of the requests including the peculiar allowance for Federal Civil Servants amongst others.

“In Labour parlance as par payment for compensation for work done, REMUNERATION or EMOLUMENT is made up of salary component and earned allowance component.

“Therefore, the Federal Government through the PCS could not have engaged on the review of salaries without involving the workers through their Unions, represented by this two Labour Federation of workers in Nigeria – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), salary review or renegotiation is part of social dialogue and the product is usually a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) usually agreed to by both parties – employers and employees.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Honourable Minister made it clear to the press corp that it is still work in progress and that the end-product of this review of allowances will be submitted to Mr President for consideration and final approval and that this was one of the Labour issues he briefed him on, that day. It’s hoped that this rightful step which the Federal Government had embarked upon on compassionate grounds without any prodding or threat to strike will help to cushion the debilitating effects of spiraling inflation especially that which affects food and energy prices (Electricity and Petroleum product)”

The Minister emphasized that the committee is hopeful that Mr. President would receive and take into consideration the suggestions by the end of the first quarter in 2023.