Senate identifies areas to strengthen Salaries and Wages commission

The Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service has advised the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to forward areas to strengthen the commission to function effectively.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Emma Njoku, the Chief Press Secretary of the Commission on Wednesday in Abuja.

Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau, Committee Chairman gave the advice when he led members on an oversight visit to the commission.

Such areas, according to the committee, included application of stiffer sanctions on defaulting Public Sector Agencies that did not comply with approved salary structure.

Shekarau described the commission as a critical agency in the Public Service and assured of the committee’s support to strengthen it.

Earlier, Chairman of the commission, Mr Ekpo Nta told the committee that part of the challenges was inadequate enabling laws to apply stiffer sanctions on defaulting agencies.

Nta said the commission had always provided technical input to the work of the various tripartite committees made up of Government, Labour Unions and Employers Association (NECA) toward the determination of the National Minimum Wage.

The chairman said the commission also provided technical support to the government in the creation of new pay structures for the public service.

This included the harmonisation of pay structure in the public service and Pay Consolidation.