C'River Minimum Wage: Committee Gets 4 Weeks Deadline

Ndifereke BASSEY 

The Joint Public Service Negotiating and Implementation on N70,000 minimum wage in Cross River has been handed four weeks to conclude negotiations on the new minimum wage for the state workers.

The state Commissioner for Information, Dr Erasmus Ekpang, who made this known while speaking with journalists in Calabar,  said the committee which was inaugurated on Monday and chaired by the State Head of Service, Dr Innocent Eteng, as also agreed on modalities to fashion out an acceptable minimum wage for the state workers.

Ekpang, however, said that the new wage that would be agreed upon will be such that it will not have adverse effect on the revenue of the state.

According to him, "The Governor has always maintained his desire to make the state workers happy by enhancing their welfare and working environment.

"The implementation of the new minimum wage is to be concluded within the next four weeks is one of such move.

"However, what will be agreed on and it's implementation by the committee will be one that will not affect the smooth running of the government or other sector of the state economy."

It would be recalled that Governor Bassey Otu of the state had earlier approved the constitution of the 16-member committee.

The committee also has as it member, Mr Gregory Olayi and  Monday Ogbodum, Chairmen of Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress respectively.