The Federal Government has declared that Lecturers, doctors, and other civil servants under the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure, Consolidated Medical Salary Scale, popularly known as CONMESS, CONHESS, and CONTISS will all benefit from its salary increase.
The civil servants will also be paid arrears from the pay increase of January 2023.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Labour, Employment, and Productivity, Chris Ngige, while speaking at the commemoration of the 2023 International Workers’ Day celebration at Eagle Square, Abuja.
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This comes after the FG had earlier confirmed a 40% salary increase for civil servants under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) only leaving out those under the other salary structures.
The approval for the pay increase was conveyed by the head of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, in a memo addressed to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.
According to Punch, the memo stated that only the 144,766 staff members of the federal civil service under the CONPSS salary structure will be paid the allowance, which will take effect from January 1, 2023.
Ngige however, addressed the concerns on Monday, stating that the National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission was working towards the finalisation of the increase for workers under CONMESS, CONHESS, and CONTISS.
“It will also be recalled that since the emergence of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure on the 1st of January, 2007, it has not been reviewed by any of the past administrations, but for the consequential minimum wage adjustment of 2019 for all wage structures under this government in 2019.
“However, in line with the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerian workers, the Federal Government recently worked out the introduction of a 40% Peculiar Allowance into the remuneration and emoluments of core Federal Civil Servants and other public servants on the CONPSS to help cushion the effects of inflation and other costs of doing their works as they are not on any special allowances.
“This demonstrates the government leadership’s commitment to improving workers’ welfare and conditions of service even without any Industrial action, but a fallout of social dialogue.
“However, other workers in the other different wage structures like CONHESS, CONMESS CONUAS, and CONTISS that started their Collective Bargaining with their Employer even with Industrial action are wounding up their CBAs for the National Salaries Incomes and Wages to transmit same for final treatment as provisions were made in the 2023 Appropriations for them with effect from 1st January 2023”.