Federal workers under the platform of the Federal Workers Forum (FWF) have appealed President Bola Tinubu’s government to pay their three-month wage award.
FWF made this appeal through a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.
The FWF, in the statement, said that 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 the payment of N35,000 wage award was put in place after series of pressure by the workers.
He lamented that the payment, since its implementation, has been inconsistent and staggering.
Emelieze urged the government to pay the balance of the outstanding three months wage award and also clear the backlog of promotion arrears owed the federal workers.
He equally tasked the government to work out a cost of living allowance for the workers, preferably pay 30% of our salaries as cost of living allowance.
He said: “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.
“Same also has been the case for so many backlog of arrears owed the federal workers, especially promotion arrears, in some cases over ten years backlog owed the federal workers in Nigeria.
“The payment of N35, 000 wage award was put in place after series of pressure by workers for government to pay a cost of living allowance after the removal of fuel subsidy and the deliberate forceful devaluation of our national currency by the federal government.
“This current N70,000 minimum wage is a slave wage, we call for its immediate abolition.
“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. We call on the government to work out a cost of living allowance for the workers, preferably pay 30% of our salaries as cost of living allowance.”