The Abia government and organised labour in the state, on Tuesday, signed the agreement for the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage and consequential salary adjustment.

The agreement was signed after negotiations between the representatives of the two parties.

After the meeting at the government house in Umuahia, Governor Alex Otti affirmed his commitment to workers’ welfare.

Mr Otti, represented by his chief of staff, Caleb Ajagba, said the payment of the new minimum wage would take effect from October.

He said: “This implies that Abia State workers would be receiving their salaries reflecting the new national minimum wage.

“That is to say that those at the lowest rung, that is, Grade Level 1, step 1, will receive a minimum of N70,000 and hope that this magnanimity would also be rewarded by a commitment to higher productivity.”

Mr Otti said the government would remain at the forefront of improving Abia workers’ welfare.

The governor said the implementation of the new minimum wage was in fulfilment of the government’s promise to be one of the first state governments to pay the new minimum wage.

He thanked labour for the level of maturity it showed throughout the negotiations.

“We had some grey areas, we also resolved them amicably. That is in the spirit of collective bargaining,” he said.

Mr Otti said plans were underway to evolve innovative solutions that would cushion the effect of the current economic situation on the workers and people of Abia.

In a speech, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ogbonnaya Okoro, described the occasion as another landmark in implementing the minimum wage in Abia.

Mr Okoro commended the Abia workforce for being patient and steadfast in their duties and expressed gratitude to God for the occasion.

(NAN)