Federal workers under the auspices of Federal Workers Forum have declared that they have suffered enough.
The union made this disclosure in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze and Secretary General, Comrade Itoro Obong.
The statement was made available to journalists on Tuesday.
The workers noted that their loyalty to serve remain paramount.
They however said that they were surprised that their well being is not in anyway being looked into by the current administration.
“We bring you greetings and our best wishes. As federal public servants our loyalty to service at all times will continue to remain paramount. However, we are surprised that our well being is not in anyway carted for by your administration.
“Sir, we taught the new national minimum wage will reflect a living wage as you earlier promised during the electioneering period but to our chagrin what you gave us fall short of a decent wage. Mr President Sir, despite the poor wage, there has been increases in the price of everything and the deliberate devaluation of our naira, hence life has been made unbearable and torturous. Sir, you also promised to pay 35,000 naira wage award to all federal workers to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on petrol pending the implementation of the new national minimum wage but five months wage award arrears from March to July 2024 is still owed the federal workers and no one is saying anything about this abnormality.
“Sir, we don’t know if it is fashionable to owe workers? We like to bring to your knowledge that poorly paid federal workers in Nigeria is being owed alot, which to us should be a national embarrassment.
“We have years of backlog of promotion arrears owed. Duty Tour Allowances (DTA). 40% of peculiar allowance since the implementation of the new national minimum wage. 25/35% wage adjustment in some MDA’s. Health sector workers are owed alot. Education sector, ASUU and FTI are still calling for justice. Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) is not left out of those being owed. Even the military and paramilitary is not left out of those owed. Various hazard allowances. Federal Pensioners are also caught up in this neglect.
“Mr President, you can not pretend not to hear us, federal workers are calling for justice. Our wellbeing is not taken serious by you. We have been abandoned and neglected.The recent minimum wage is one of the testimonies of our plights. The 70,000 naira minimum wage is a ridiculous disaster, it cannot even suffice as transportation allowance less survive workers for a month.The mere fact that the bench mark for the minimum wage is 70,000naira does not mean that the federal workers should be paid that minimum. Is it not a shame that some states now pay more than the federal government? The 70,000 naira minimum wage shows disrespect to the Nigerian workers.
“It is our believe that there is a conspiracy between Mr President and the NLC/TUC leadership to impose a poor minimum wage on workers; this is a crime against humanity. Power must not be used to suppress the people.
“Sir, what is more painful is that workers do not believe that your administration have started the implementation of the new national minimum wage because the consequencial adjustment is insignificant and equally nonsensical; It is just 40,000 naira flat that was added to the salaries of the federal workers. To us, we feel cheated and betrayed. The so called new national minimum wage is a scam and we have been shortchanged . To us this is a slave wage and an exploitation of the vulnerable. Sir, federal workers have been defrauded by you and this is not fair.
“This appears to us like an act of wickedness to impose a poor pay on workers hence promoting poverty and hardship among the federal government workers. Sir, despite the poor minimum wage, your administration kept increasing the pump price of petrol making the situation more dangerous for the workers.This is really very very unfair. What is our offense ?
“Mr President Sir, we are citizens, we are workers, we are not lamenting, we are making legitimate demands for a decent pay for the decent work done. We don’t want to believe you are this heartless, review our wages now. Attend to the plights of the retired federal pensions. Address the issues of fraud in the national pension scheme and the IPPIS haphazard payment of workers and the criminal conspiracy and illegal deductions of federal workers salaries by unknown cooperatives and micro finance bodies.
“Sir, you just have to listen to us, We have suffered enough pains under your watch, you are pushing us to the wall, stop this torture. We demand that: You set up a committee to look into all outstanding arrears owed all federal employees and pay up. The payment of 50% of our salary as cost of living allowance (#COLA). The immediate review of the consolidated heavy taxation of our salaries and allowances. Stoppage in the delay in the payment of salaries. Increase welfare for workers and the pensioners. Payment of outstanding 35,000 naira five months wage award to all federal workers amounting to 175,000 naira to each federal worker latest 22 nd April 2025 else a national protest and shutdown of the federal government secretariat nationwide. Our pay slip should always reflect the breakdown of our allowances. If our demands are not met with, federal workers will boycott all activities relating to May day 2025 festivities and ensure that workers will not give you salute on workers day and also the eruption of protest on all venues of May day festivities nationwide.
“We are also calling for the immediate forensic financial probe of the activities of the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). Now that the price of crude oil is falling in the international market, we call for the immediate reduction in the pump price of petrol, diesel, kerosene and other petroleum products.
“Your Excellency, federal workers have met on Saturday 5th April we have decided we will no longer tolerate this oppression and disregard of the federal worker , if by Tuesday 22nd April, our outstanding five months wage award is not paid then it shall be a massive showdown. We had earlier issued a 21days ultimatum but no response from you Sir. We are equally notifying the International Labour Organization (ILO) of our plights and our intentions for mass action .
“On a final note Sir and from the angle of metaphysics, federal workers collective resolve is that anybody frustrating the Nigerian workers will be belaboured by the God of labour and the person herein will not eat the fruits of his/her labour”.