By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has inaugurated the consequential adjustment committee on minimum wage, charging members to look at all the variables and design an agreement that caters for the interest of the workers, other segments of the society, and considers issues of development.

The committee members were inaugurated on Friday at the council chambers of the Government House, attended by top government officials, labour leaders, and representatives of the organised private sector in the state.

“The setting up of this committee sets out the process for the implementation of the national minimum wage in Kwara State. Following a legislative backing by the National Assembly, the President has recently approved N70,000 as the new minimum wage. We welcome the development in Kwara State. But the law means more than just paying N70,000 to the lowest ranking worker. It involves working out the maths on how this affects the take home for senior workers on different cadres,” the Governor said.

“This multi-stakeholder committee is therefore tasked to critically look at all the indices and arrive at workable consequential adjustments for all cadres of workers.

“I trust that this committee of senior government officials, reasonable labour leaders and organised private sector will consider all the variables and balance the need for decent salary adjustments with the important need to have something left for development and other strata of the society. In other words, we should arrive at an agreement that is durable, meets the legitimate needs of all, and takes into account the overall interest of our state.”

State Head of Service and Chairman of the Committee Mrs Modupe Susan Oluwole commended the Governor’s proactiveness in constituting the committee.

“Recently, the President signed the 70,000 national minimum wage into law, and our Governor, being proactive, constituted this noble committee within 72 hours,” she said.

The HOS was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Establishment and Training, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim.

AbdulRazaq prioritises workers’ welfare, she added, saying the committee will be diligent and clear-headed in its work.

The Governor had recently announced the 18-person committee which comprises commissioners, bureaucrats, labour leaders, and private sector players.

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