BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE

Employees of the Federal Government are to enjoy a pay raise soon according to  labour and productivity minister, Alhaji Ibrahim Kazaure.

The pay raise is a conseqence of the several months of negotiation between the government,  employers  and organised labour .

Labour under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress made a demand for N52,500 per month  natioanl minimum wage in December 2008.

The  Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Ibrahim Kazaure assured Public Servants of Government’s Commitment at ensuring a befitting take home pay package soon.

The minister  spoke at the end of  tripartite Committee Meeting among Government, Employers, Labour and other stakeholders on National Minimum Wages which deliberated on the demands/threats of Industrial action by the Organized Labour Movement.

Senator Kazaure according to his director of press, Mr. Sam Olowookere  commended  “the maturity displayed by the Labour Leaders over the wages/salaries matter” saying that this  “has placed their demands at the heart of the Government, and the government is willing to address the issue with utmost regard to the well-being of the Nigerian workers for efficiency and high productivity”.

The Nigeria Labour Congress during its national executive meeting held in Kaduna about a week ago, indicated that a new national minimum wage  may be announced on May Day.

Senator Ibrahim Kazaure commended the Civil Servants for enduring/ coping with the hardship posed by the global economic meltdown.