Labour Group Demands Payment Of Outstanding Wage Awards
THECONSCIENCE NNG reports that Federal civil servants across Nigeria, under the aegis of the Federal Workers Forum (FWF), have issued a stern ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate payment of outstanding wage awards, salary harmonisation, and a comprehensive review of their welfare package.
In a statement signed by the forum’s National Coordinator, Andrew Emelieze a former Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the group condemned what it described as years of economic neglect and exploitation by successive governments, with particular criticism directed at the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Emelieze accused the Federal Government of failing to honour its commitment to pay the full ₦35,000 wage award introduced in 2023 as a temporary cushion following the removal of fuel subsidies and currency devaluation. According to the FWF, only two out of the promised five months’ worth of payments have been made, leaving ₦105,000 in arrears per worker for the months of May, June, and July 2024.
“For 15 months now, the government has withheld this money, despite knowing how poorly federal workers are paid. In these dire times, to owe workers is not just economic sabotage it is a crime against humanity,” Emelieze said.
The wage award was originally intended to mitigate the sharp rise in living costs, but workers say the disbursement has been erratic and politicised, with payments often delayed until protests or threats of industrial action are made.
FWF also accused the Accountant General of the Federation of backtracking on the implementation of a new national minimum wage. The group said the so-called adjustment amounted to a flat ₦40,000 addition—uniform across all salary grades, heavily taxed, and far from reflective of actual economic needs.
“This is not a wage increase. It is an insult,” Emelieze stated.
He further described the current ₦70,000 minimum wage as a “slave wage” that fails to keep pace with inflation, surging fuel prices, and soaring utility costs. The FWF warned that the economic hardship has forced many civil servants to either quit their jobs or leave the country in search of better opportunities—a phenomenon popularly known as the “Japa” syndrome.
“President Tinubu has failed Nigerian workers. Life under this administration has become unbearable. All we hear are broken promises,” the statement read.
The forum also strongly criticised the proposed 5% petrol tax, warning that it would exacerbate the financial burden on already struggling workers.
Concluding the statement, the FWF issued a rallying call to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their affiliates to declare a national warning strike. It also expressed solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), urging a one-day national sympathy strike in support of their ongoing demands.
“The condition of the Nigerian federal worker has never been this bad. We are demoralised. We are disappointed. But we are not defeated. The government must act now or face a united and determined workforce that will no longer remain silent,” Emelieze declared.
