Federal Workers Demand Payment of Arrears and a Reduction in PMS Prices from Tinubu

Federal workers represented by the Federal Workers Forum (FWF) have made a request to the federal government, led by President Bola Tinubu, to pay overdue salaries and other benefits owed to them. This appeal was made during an online meeting held on Monday.A communiqué released after the meeting, which was shared on Tuesday, outlines their grievances.

In the statement signed by National Coordinator Comrade Andrew Emelieze, the workers highlighted that they are still owed various payments, leaving them in difficult financial situations.The workers emphasized that the government has not addressed years of unpaid promotion arrears, duty tour allowances (DTA), and months of wage awards.

They also mentioned outstanding payments related to the new national minimum wage, earned allowances for federal tertiary institutions, and hazard/uniform allowances for military and paramilitary personnel.In the communiqué, Emelieze urged President Tinubu to implement urgent measures to combat the rising costs of food and essential goods.

He expressed, “Mr. President, the current situation is dire and troubling. Many Nigerians are suffering from hunger, and the tough policies you have implemented have caused severe hardship. The populace is struggling, with many people resorting to begging. Daily life for Nigerians has become a battle for survival.

The removal of the petrol subsidy has led to widespread distress and despair, with a noticeable rise in the suicide rate.”Emelieze continued, “Your policies seem to be condemning Nigerians to hardship; they feel like a death sentence. The economy is stagnant, the naira is losing value, and the prices of goods and services have skyrocketed beyond what the average citizen can afford.

Since your administration began, petrol prices have increased more than fourteen times, placing an enormous burden on the people.”He further noted, “Federal workers are also suffering under these tough conditions. The price of petrol has surged from ₦187 to ₦1300, yet there has been no adequate support to alleviate the negative impacts of these reforms.

The ₦35,000 wage award for federal workers was abruptly halted after only six months, and five months of wage awards remain unpaid. The recent national minimum wage increase to ₦40,000 is insufficient for all federal workers.”He lamented, “It is regrettable that despite the economic crisis, the government continues to owe poorly compensated workers who are already struggling.

The backlog includes years of promotion arrears, unpaid duty tour allowances, eight months of increments, and more unpaid benefits for federal employees and pensioners.”“Mr. President, we urgently need your attention; federal government workers are facing starvation, with many relying on loans just to make ends meet. Our salaries barely last a week. We ask that you intervene personally in the plight of federal workers. We call for a reassessment of the proposed new national minimum wage of ₦70,000, which we find unacceptable. The current increase to ₦40,000 is an embarrassment. Federal workers are financially strained, and we reject this figure as the new national minimum wage.”