The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has explained that the 25% and 35% increase in workers’ salary, which was announced by the Federal Government is not minimum wage.
ASCSN president, Tommy Okon, stated this while fielding questions from newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
Okon, who is also the Vice President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said that the approval of the salary increase was to close the salary gap that existed in some Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“Other sectors have benefitted from these increases, it is only the core Federal Civil Service. So, it is a good development no doubt, but the people need to be informed.
“Some even saw it as if the government had ambushed the labour unions and then come out unilaterally to increase the minimum wage to that amount. Whereas, it is not the minimum wage.
“The minimum wage is ongoing ,what the government did was to correct some gaps that existed among the pay of those in that sectors listed,” he said
Okon said the clarification was important for the generality of workers and the masses at large that the salary increase was to bridge wage gap in the civil service.