The financial and economic crisis has cut global wage growth by half in 2008 and 2009, says a new report by the International Labour Office, ILO.

Analyzing data from 115 countries and territories covering 94 per cent of the approximately 1.4 billion wage earners worldwide, the “Global Wage Report 2010/11 – Wage policies in times of crisis” says globally, growth in average monthly wages slowed from 2.8 per cent in 2007, on the eve of the crisis, to 1.5 per cent in 2008 and 1.6 per cent in 2009. Excluding China from the aggregate, the global average wage growth drops to 0.8 in 2008 and 0.7 in 2009.

The report cites considerable variations in wage growth rates across regions, saying that while wage growth slowed but remained consistently positive in Asia and Latin America, other regions such as Eastern Europe and Central Asia experienced a dramatic fall. Advanced economies experienced a drop in the level of real wages which fell in 12 of 28 countries in 2008 and in seven in 2009.

“This study shows another face of the lingering employment crisis”, said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia. “The recession has not only been dramatic for the millions who lost their jobs, but has also affected those who remained in employment by severely reducing their purchasing power and their general well-being.”

ASSBIFI urges workers to insist on N18.000 minimum wage

ASSOCIATION of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, has called on the public sector workers in the country to insist on full implementation of the N18.000 new Minimum wage.

In a new year message to Nigerian workers, President of ASSBIFI, Comrade Sunday Salako, implored both federal and state civil servants not to yield to any pressure to take any amount lower than N18.000.

According to him: “At the last review of the minimum wage to N7, 500 for civil servant at the Federal level and N5, 500 for those at the State levels in 2000, the government had an understanding with the organised labour that the next salary increase was going to be an increment of 25% on the existing salary. Since then, there has been un-imaginable, mind boggling increment in the remuneration of the political office holders of more than 1000%, mostly done without any obeisance to the dictates of the Constitution and other relevant statutes.

At the same period, the inflation rate in the country has risen over 40% within the same period, yet, the Federal Government had to be compelled to implement the Eighteen Thousand Naira Minimum Wage while some States are still foot dragging on its execution.”

Maritime Workers pray for Nigeria, industry

THE leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has organised a prayer session for a more peaceful and stronger Nigeria, the Maritime sector and the union in particular.

The annual Christmas Day prayer session organised by the President-General of the union Comrade Anthony Emmanuel Nted, at his residence, attracted all levels of the union as well as the leadership of Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA Senior Staff Association.

After praises and worships, the President-General who quoted copiously from the Holy Bible in his words of exaltations, among others, stressed on love, trust,  perseverance, caring for the less-privileged and total obedience to the doctrines of God Almighty in all human endeavours.

Fashola sets up a commission over wages

GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, has  reiterated his government’s commitment to the welfare of workers.  The governor who was giving account of his government in the last three years, noted that the overt sensitivity and response of his administration to the welfare of the public servants had not spared the state from the spate of labour disputes currently raging across the country.

He however who pledged the commitment of the government to improving the welfare of its workers, said the government had set up a state commission to review wages and salaries as a solution to the agitations.

Another significant milestone covered during the period, according to the Governor, was the approval by the State Government of the payment of bursaries to all students of Lagos State origin totaling N360,860,180.80  with 3,546 students in the State’s University (LASU), 2,049 students in other universities across the country, 957 students in various Polytechnics and 786 students in various Colleges of education and in the Nigerian Law School as beneficiaries.