Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has topped the chart in workers’ welfare with the announcement of an 86 percent salary increment for state workers, bringing the monthly wage bill to ₦11.9 billion starting January 2025.
The state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday after meeting with the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Kayode Martins.
According to Oyelade, the payment of a new ₦80,000 minimum wage will replace the current ₦30,000 benchmark, positioning Oyo State as a leader in workers’ welfare in Nigeria.
The Commissioner highlighted Governor Makinde’s commitment to balancing workers’ welfare with the needs of the general populace and critical sectors of the economy.
NLC Chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins, praised Governor Makinde, describing him as a “Workers’ Governor.”
He noted that Oyo’s ₦80,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustments were more favorable than those implemented in other states and even at the federal level.
“Oyo was the first state to implement the old ₦30,000 minimum wage and began negotiating the new wage with labour leaders even before the Federal Government approved the ₦70,000 minimum wage,” Martins said.
Highlighting the increments, he explained that workers on Grade Levels 1 to 6 will see a salary jump from ₦30,000 to ₦80,000, while those on Grade Level 7 and above will enjoy adjustments of ₦70,000 to over ₦180,000, depending on their grade level.
“For instance, a worker on Grade Level 17 currently earning ₦170,000 will now earn ₦360,000,” Martins said, adding that no other state in Nigeria has implemented such a robust pay structure.
Oyelade emphasised Makinde’s proactive approach to workers’ issues, citing the announcement of a four-year promotion for workers to resolve long standing promotion crises before his tenure began in 2019.
The commissioner noted that the prompt payment of salaries by the 25th of every month has significantly boosted workers’ morale and positively impacted the state’s economy.
He also revealed that with the new wage structure, Oyo State’s annual wage bill will rise to ₦143 billion, a record commitment to civil service welfare.
Martins commended the cordial relationship between the state government and labour unions, pointing out that Oyo workers were exempted from the national industrial action by labour unions on December 2, 2024, due to the harmonious relationship in the state.
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