The Federal Workers Forum has appealed to the Federal Government to pay outstanding arrears, including wage awards and promotion allowances, to civil servants.
In a letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the forum urged urgent action to address long-standing issues affecting federal workers, which have worsened since the removal of fuel subsidy.
The forum’s key demands include: full implementation of the new national minimum wage by June 30, 2025, and immediate payment of 10 months’ arrears dating back to August 2024.
The forum also demanded for payment of 40 per cent peculiar allowance in June salaries, along with 10 months’ arrears, introduction of a cost of living allowance (COLA) by June, payment of wage awards and promotion arrears owed to judicial workers, staff of tertiary institutions, and the federal health sector, reinstatement of leave bonuses, payment of 13th-month incentives, hazard allowances, and a long service award
They further warned that if their demands were not met, federal workers may be forced to escalate their demands through physical demonstrations.
The letter expressed hope for prompt government action, emphasizing that timely intervention would prevent the need for protests.
“We call on you to ensure full implementation of the minimum wage by June 30, 2025, and immediate payment of ten months’ arrears dating back to August 2024.
“We condemn the selective payment of wage awards and urge the government to ensure all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) received the first tranche and any pending arrears, ” the letter said.
The forum also expressed concerns about borrowing from the contributory pension fund, stressing that it was not intended for government loans.
The letter emphasised the need for the government to address the long-standing issues affecting federal workers to prevent further escalation.
