The Federal Workers Forum (FWF), has issued a 21 day ultimatum to the Federal Government to pay the five months N35,000 wage award owed all federal workers nationwide or risk a national protest.

The Union in a communique reached at the end of its emergency online meeting of all federal workers, also demanded the review of the N70,000 new minimum wage which was described as an embarrassment and a shame given the harsh economic realities in the country.

This came as the workers criticised the leadership’s of the organised labour comprising of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) as well as the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), for consistently issuing empty threats to government rather than fight for the people’s rights and welfare as was their mandate.

The Communique signed by National Coordinator Federal Workers Forum, Comrade Andrew Emelieze with a seven point demand, lamented that Nigerian workers had long hoped for a living wage but the last new national minimum wage negotiated have left the Federal Workers highly disappointed and demoralized.

Emelieze, a former Oyo State TUC Chairman, regretted that the 70,000 naira minimum wage was a clear proof that Nigerian workers were not in anyway respected by the system, adding that the wage was disastrous, poor, exploitative and an act of wickedness and conscienceless leadership.

He said: “Despite the very poor, ridiculous and shameful minimum wage, our government has continued to deliberately and systematically devalue our national currency and most especially through the nascent hike in the price of everything thus making rubbish of the already disgraceful 70,000 naira minimum wage .

“Federal Workers are not happy that the federal government is subjecting the federal work force to penury through this horrible poor new national minimum wage.

“The new national minimum wage should be a national embarrassment. The new national minimum wage has failed, it has not brought workers out of poverty rather it has plunged workers into more and more poverty. Therefore, a responsible government will review it immediately.

“We the Federal Workers are badly demoralized and we are not happy the way the Federal government is handling our welfare. Salaries are always delayed and it is not taking us home.”

Emelieze added, “Federal workers are more disappointment in our two labour centers, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and their affiliate industrial unions. It is actually very shameful that the so called labour, could not win a living wage for her members and that they have remained mute while government continues to attack the work force through ugly and callous policies.

“Labour leadership has rather been issuing empty threats and deceiving her members with pseudo and fruitless agitations meant only to divert the attention of workers from their monumental failures. The NLC/TUC have continued to watch workers recede to misery and subhuman conditions only to do nothing but play in a play.

“We had earlier passed a vote of no confidence on the labour leadership in Nigeria and by now we expect that Comrades Joe Ajearo and Festus Osifo to resign and bury their heads in shame.

“Federal Workers posit that the NLC/TUC is clinically dead. The leadership of the NLC and the TUC have been deceiving the Nigerian workers. So called Comrades Ajaero , the NLC President and Osifo , the TUC President are both a disgrace to the labour movement in Nigeria.

“Both labour leadership have been blowing hot and cold, playing to the gallery and the Nigerian workers are the ones paying the price for their absurdities , incompetence and sell out .

“The current new national minimum wage is the worst negotiation in the history of Nigeria. A negotiation where only 40.000 naira flat rate is the only thing added to the workers’ salary; which was equally heavily taxed and most workers eventually got lesser than the 40,000 naira as real cash. Meanwhile government has continued to make nonsense of the new national minimum wage by hiking almost the price of everything in Nigeria, yet the NLC / TUC has continued to issue empty threats. This new national minimum wage has proven that workers are badly cheated by the Nigerian government and that there was a conspiracy between labour and the federal government to keep workers poorly paid.

“Most unfortunately, our government is still owing us five months wage award arrears earlier promised to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal and labour is not doing anything, this is indeed very shameful. Government is also owing poorly paid workers lots of arrears of various allowances. In the crucial sectors of health and education, the workers have continued to plead for their legitimate dues all to no avail.

“Federal workers also posit that the entire labour movement and the left have refused to call the NLC and the TUC to order. Thus ,the labour movement is part of the compromise and the betrayal of the working class in Nigeria.

“Federal workers also expressed their disappointment in the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) , Student Union Governments (SUG), the entire civil society groups and activist for their passivity while Nigerians languish in horror. NAN is now a shadow of itself and the Nigerian student’s movement is now a reactionary movement.

“Posterity will judge the NLC/TUC, the industrial unions, NANS and the civil society for making it impossible for Nigerians to have a good life .

“The Federal Workers hereby give a 21 days ultimatum to the federal government to pay up the five months wage award 35,000 naira monthly owed all federal workers nationwide from March to July 2024.

“At the expiration of the twenty one days ultimatum, federal workers are to officially commence a continuous and permanent protest at all federal government secretariat and the NLC/TUC secretariat nationwide.

“We call for investigations to continuous delay in the payment of salaries, immediate payment of all allowances and arrears owed all Federal Workers nationwide. We demand 50% of our basic as Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), immediate review of the new national minimum wage, the immediate cessation of the systematic devaluation of our naira by the federal government of Nigeria.

“We urge the federal government to stop treating workers like slaves, we are citizens , the new national minimum wage has led to the financial embarrassment of federal workers , our government must rethink her attitude towards the Nigerian workers.

“We call on all federal workers to start preparing for a continuous and permanent protest should the federal government refuse to meet our demands in the next twenty one days. This is a call for a revolt against hunger and hardship faced by the federal workers in Nigeria. Enough of this suffering and the psychological torture of the federal work force.NLC/TUC have failed us, we are taking our destines in our hands, we must not fail ourselves. Better to fight than to surrender to the forces of oppression “