The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has accused the Federal Government of failing to fully implement the ₦70,000 national minimum wage approved in July 2024, warning that the situation has left federal civil servants struggling to cope with the rising cost of living.
In a statement dated Wednesday, September 2, and addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of the Federation and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the group demanded an immediate review of the minimum wage to ₦300,000.
The workers also proposed a new salary structure that would place the maximum salary for Level 17 officers at ₦1.5 million. According to the FWF, the proposed adjustments would better reflect current economic conditions and help create greater uniformity in remuneration across the public service.
The group claimed that the full consequential adjustment arising from the 2024 minimum wage increase had yet to be implemented, despite repeated demands from workers.
According to the FWF, federal employees across Levels 1 to 17 received only a flat ₦40,000 addition to their previous salaries, rather than adjustments that reflected their different salary levels.
The workers also alleged that the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and other outstanding entitlements remained unpaid. They said the Minister of Finance had promised that the outstanding balance of the allowance would be paid by August 15, but claimed the payment had not been made as of the date of their statement.
The forum said the combination of inflation, higher transportation costs, increased petrol prices and the depreciation of the naira had severely weakened workers’ purchasing power.
It argued that although government revenue and budgetary allocations had increased, federal workers had not experienced a corresponding improvement in their earnings or living standards.
The group warned that continued financial hardship among public servants could negatively affect productivity and create conditions that encourage corruption.
The FWF said many workers were struggling to afford food, transportation, electricity, cooking gas and other basic necessities. It further claimed that some employees had turned to microfinance institutions and digital loan applications to borrow money for everyday expenses, including transportation to work.
The workers rejected the possibility of waiting until July 2027 for another statutory minimum wage review, describing the current situation as an emergency that requires immediate government intervention.
Under the proposed salary structure, the FWF wants Level 1 Step 1 workers to earn ₦300,000 monthly, with Level 2 receiving ₦330,000 and Level 3 ₦360,000. The proposed salaries would increase progressively, reaching ₦1 million for Level 15, ₦1.2 million for Level 16 and ₦1.5 million for Level 17 officers.
Beyond the minimum wage increase, the group demanded payment of outstanding salaries and promotion arrears, immediate implementation of the peculiar allowance and full consequential adjustment of the 2024 minimum wage, including arrears dating back to July 2024.
It also called for the introduction of a permanent Cost of Living Allowance and Family Support Allowance, better health insurance coverage, improved access to housing and vehicle loans, harmonisation of salaries and pensions, and a review of what it described as excessive taxation on workers’ allowances.
Other demands include free education for the children of federal workers and pensioners in federal institutions, improved pension standards, social security support for unemployed and underemployed Nigerians, and the reinstatement of petrol subsidy.
The FWF appealed to the National Assembly to urgently intervene, arguing that federal workers had endured prolonged economic hardship and could no longer sustain their current living conditions.
The group also called for an investigation into an allegation that part of workers’ contributory pension funds may have been borrowed by the executive. It urged authorities to immediately stop the practice and recover any funds involved if the allegation is established.
The workers concluded by urging the Federal Government and lawmakers to treat their demands as an emergency and take steps toward what they described as a fair and sustainable wage system for federal employees.
