The National Union of Railway Workers has disclosed that the payment of the long-awaited 95 per cent salary increase will soon commence.
Speaking with our correspondent in Abuja over the weekend, the Secretary-General of the National Union of Railway Workers, Segun Esan, explained that while the approval had been received, the process of translating it into actual cash for railway workers was ongoing.
He emphasised that approvals do not automatically translate into immediate financial benefits, adding that there were several levels of due diligence and processes that needed to be followed before the approval could be converted into cash.
The PUNCH had reported that the NUR, an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress, embarked on a three-day warning strike in November 2021, because of poor workers’ welfare.
Esan assured that they were working diligently to complete those procedures.
He said, “It has to go through certain levels of due diligence and process and that exactly is what we are going through now. But I can assure you quite sooner than later, we would be able to get the 95 per cent approval translated into cash.”
Esan noted that the 95 per cent increase should not be mistaken for the National Minimum Wage.
He claimed it was a distinctive approval intended to enhance the modest salaries railway workers currently earn, noting that compared to other sectors, the railway industry operated on the lowest level of salary structure, known as the consolidated salary structure.
He further stated that the increase would help alleviate the financial burdens faced by workers and provide them with reasonable incomes.
He said, “It won’t be within my pursuit to tell you categorically when the reality will come to be, but very soon and it can’t be any farther than we have been coming.
“When you talk of due diligence, it is never under our control. But as soon as the authorities concern like the Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office and all of that do their due diligence, quite certainly, we will be where we want to be. But I can’t tell you exactly when it will come to fruition, but it will quite sooner than later.”
Punch
