FEDERAL WORKERS FORUM DEMANDS FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW MINIMUM WAGE, PAYMENT OF ALLOWANCES
By Baba Dan’Iya
The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has called on the Federal Government to urgently address the worsening cost of living crisis affecting Nigerian workers, particularly federal public servants, citing the delay in the full implementation of the new national minimum wage and the non-payment of outstanding allowances.
In an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and copied to key government officials, including the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the group expressed deep concern over what it described as the “precarious and tormenting” condition of federal workers since the removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023.
The letter, signed by the FWF National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, and other national officers, decried the failure of the government to fully implement the new national minimum wage, ten months after its introduction, and demanded the immediate payment of the differential arrears.
“Mr President, it is now ten months since the implementation of the new national minimum wage, yet federal workers are still waiting for full compliance. We call on you to ensure that full implementation begins with the June 2025 salary and that all ten-month arrears are paid without further delay,” the statement read.
The group also demanded the payment of the balance of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance, institution of a cost-of-living allowance (COLA), and an end to the selective payment of the wage award arrears. It called for the inclusion of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), with particular reference to judicial workers and other institutions yet to benefit from the wage award.
According to FWF, the government’s failure to provide relief for workers in the wake of subsidy removal and naira devaluation has deepened poverty among federal employees. “The hardship has become unbearable. Workers are living on the edge. The subsidy removal has only enriched a few and impoverished the many,” the forum said.
The letter further raised concerns about the alleged withholding of wage award arrears for five months, questioning the delay and calling for an investigation into the matter.
“We demand transparency and accountability. Why is the payment being made in instalments? Was the money not budgeted? Was it diverted? These are legitimate questions federal workers deserve answers to,” the forum queried.
The group cited instances of federal employees being owed salaries, including personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service recruited between 2022 and 2023, officers in the Federal Ministry of Education on elongation, and members of the Special Constabulary Police, who reportedly worked for years without remuneration.
FWF also expressed concern over reports of a N10 trillion loan allegedly sourced from the contributory pension fund without the knowledge of contributors, urging the government not to tamper with workers’ pensions.
Other demands listed in the letter include:
Payment of promotion arrears owed to federal workers.
Settlement of all debts owed to federal tertiary institutions and health sector workers.
Reintroduction of leave bonus, 13th-month incentive, and long service awards.
Review of the heavy tax regime on federal workers.
Provision of hazard allowance where applicable.
The forum warned that failure to respond positively to their demands within 30 days could lead to mass action by federal workers, including a peaceful demonstration at the Presidential Villa.
“We are not begging, these are our entitlements. We are workers and citizens, not slaves. If the federal government continues to owe us, we will continue to mobilise protests and strikes through our unions,” the letter concluded.
