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Governor Godwin Obaseki has finally joined the league of the state governors who have approved the payment of N30,000 new minimum wage for their workers. According to reports, Starting from the end of January, the salaries of civil servants in Edo state would reflect the new minimum wage of N30,000. It was gathered that the state Governor Obaseki gave the confirmation after signing into law the new minimum wage structure for civil servants after a meeting with organised labour at the Government House in Benin City, the state capital. He said that an agreement on the new minimum wage structure was easily reached with the joint negotiating council based on transparency on both sides, with the government willing to provide a conducive atmosphere for workers to deliver their best. Obaseki noted the success recorded owes to the sincerity between government, labour and trade unions, noting that there should not be much difference between a state worker, federal government worker, and a local government worker since it is the same government. “What we have done in Edo is to change the narrative by emphasizing on productivity. If you want someone to be productive, the minimum you can do is to pay the person a living wage,” he added. He said the next phase of welfare package for workers in the state would include capacity building of public servants to be more efficient and productive. “Every worker must have health cover; every worker who is eligible must have a house mortgage of their own and every worker will undertake, at least one public service training in the public service training academy every year,” he said. In his new-year broadcast message to Edo state citizens, he had earlier promised that workers in the state would start benefiting from the new minimum wage from January 2020.

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