Federal workers under the umbrella of the Federal Workers Forum (FWF) have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to immediately release the outstanding three-month wage award owed to them.
The demand was contained in a statement signed by the forum’s National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, and made available to DAILY POST on Wednesday.
Emelieze criticized the federal government for what he described as the “poor treatment of its workforce,” noting that the failure to pay the remaining three months of the ₦35,000 wage award, as earlier promised by the Accountant General of the Federation, reflects a lack of commitment to workers’ welfare.
He lamented that the payment of the ₦35,000 wage award, introduced after intense pressure from workers following the removal of fuel subsidy, has been inconsistent and irregular.
“The refusal of the federal government to pay up the balance of the outstanding three months wage award as promised by the Accountant General of the Federation has shown clearly how our government has been treating her workers,” Emelieze said.
He added that several federal workers are still being owed years of promotion arrears, in some cases dating back over a decade, and urged the government to clear all pending payments.
The FWF further demanded the introduction of a cost of living allowance, proposing that the government pay at least 30% of workers’ salaries to cushion the effects of rising inflation and economic hardship.
Emelieze also described the newly approved ₦70,000 minimum wage as a “slave wage,” calling for its immediate review.
“We urge the government to pay up now the balance of the outstanding three months wage award. We are calling on the federal government to clear the backlog of promotion arrears owed the federal workers and work out a cost of living allowance for workers, preferably 30% of our salaries,” the statement added.