Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu has approved a new minimum wage of N70,000 for state workers.
This decision follows an agreement reached between the state government and organised labor regarding the implementation of the new national minimum wage.
The agreement includes a consequential adjustment across all levels, which will be implemented effective December 1, 2024.
This move is expected to improve the welfare of state workers.
Prior to this development, Governor Otu had increased the minimum wage from N30,000 to N40,000 in May 2024, demonstrating his commitment to workers’ welfare.
However, the implementation of the new national minimum wage of N70,000, approved by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024, had been a subject of negotiation between the state government and organized labor.
The negotiation process was not without its challenges. Almost five months after the national minimum wage was approved, Governor Otu set up a committee on its implementation and requested a four-week window to finalize the arrangements.
However, the organised labor rejected this request and embarked on a two-day warning strike from November 25 to 26, after a meeting with the Minimum Wage Implementation Committee ended in deadlock.
