Minimum wage: Yobe constitutes 11-man committee

TRACKING> Yobe government has constituted an 11-man committee for the implementation of the minimum wage in the state.

Alhaji Muhammad Nura, acting Head of Service, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Damaturu.

According to the statement, the committee had the Acting Head of Service as Chairman, while other members include six permanent secretaries and four labour leaders.

The permanent secretaries are that of ministries of finance, Budget and Planning, Administration and General Services, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs with Permanent Secretary Establishment to serve as secretary.

Other members include state Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Chairman Joint Public Service Negotiation Council and the state Secretary NLC.

Meanwhile, civil servants in the state have expressed delight with the constitution of the committee, which gives hope for the implementation of the new minimum wage.

Sadiq Manu, a civil servant, said: “This gives us hope that the Gov. Mai Mala Buni administration is committed to implementing the new minimum wage.”

Musa Usman, another civil servant, expressed hope and urged the committee not waste time on negotiation.

Hadiza Ibrahim, a local government staff, urged traders to avoid unnecessary and arbitrary increase in prices of commodities.

“Government should evolve a price monitoring scheme to check the excesses of traders, who may take advantage of the new minimum wage to increase prices of goods and services.

“If this is not checked, it would lead to inflation and ridicule the minimum wages, while workers would be at the receiving end,” she said.

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