The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja canvassed for a minimum wage of N100,000 for civil servants in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the current minimum wage at the federal level is N7,500.
The Chairman of ASCSN information unit, Mr. Atuoba Obed, said this at a one-day seminar organised by the union.
The theme of the seminar is: "Creating a conducive working environment for improved productivity in the workplace.''
Obed said the theme of the seminar was derived from the need to empower the members with the knowledge of managing the present socio-economic and political situation in the country.
He lamented the condition of workers in the civil service, saying, "The unbearable means of human survival in the country has continued to impoverish Nigerians.
"The salary of civil servants is very meagre, and the high cost of living in the country has eaten deep into the stipend called salary.
"We use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to look into the present meagre salary of the civil servant and increase it to at least N100,000 for the least paid official.
"Also, the policy of consolidated salary and high tax on the salary of civil servants is a sorry case, which is widening their scope of financial and health predicaments."
Obed also called for regular trainings for information officers to improve on their duties, especially in this era of information technology.
He described information and communications technology as the mouthpiece of the nation, saying that information officers, by virtue of their office, ought to understand government policies to give to the people the desired image of the country.
He said, "We use this opportunity to call on all ministries, departments and agencies to embark on regular training and retraining of their staff.
"Training programmes should be transparent, not to be used to favour some staff because it is not a personal project, but rather a Federal Government programme designed to improve the staff on their duties.''
While declaring the seminar open, the Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, tasked ASCSN over better conduct in order to achieve the desired goals of the nation.
Akunyili, who was represented by the Director of Research and Production in the ministry, Mr. Ladan Ndam, said the theme of the seminar showed that workers were willing to make things better this year.
She said that welfare and good working environment for workers was a "two way process."
She said "Management is expected to provide some of the physical facilities but the human person makes the difference, and in that case, sometimes it is not the fault of management.
"While we put pressure on management and remind them of what they ought to do, we should equally remind ourselves, individually and collectively, to do our best for our organisations and the nation in general."
Comments