35% Salary Boost Not Minimum Wage – Labour Clarifies

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has clarified that the recent 25% to 35% increase in workers’ salaries announced by the federal government does not constitute the minimum wage.

President of the association, Mr. Tommy Okon, emphasized this point during a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday. He explained that the salary adjustment aimed to address existing wage disparities in various ministries, departments, and agencies.

Okon, who also serves as the Vice President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), highlighted that the salary hike was not a unilateral move by the government to adjust the minimum wage. Instead, it was targeted at rectifying pay discrepancies within specific sectors, excluding the core Federal Civil Service.

He stressed the need for clarity, noting that some misconstrued the increase as a sudden raise in the minimum wage. Okon emphasized that the ongoing minimum wage negotiations remain unaffected, and the recent adjustment was solely intended to bridge salary disparities within the civil service.

The clarification comes in light of the Federal Government’s announcement on Tuesday regarding salary increments ranging from 25% to 35% across six consolidated salary structures. These structures include CONPSS, CONRAISS, CONPOSS, CONPASS, CONICCS, and CONAFSS.