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Federal workers under the umbrella of the Federal Workers Forum (FWF) have announced plans to stage a nationwide protest on Monday to demand an upward review of wages and improved welfare packages.
The forum said the decision followed an emergency virtual meeting of federal workers across the country, where participants resolved to embark on peaceful demonstrations at federal secretariats nationwide and picket selected government institutions.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, National Coordinator of the FWF, Andrew Emelieze, said workers had also been directed to wear black every Monday as a symbolic protest against insecurity and the prevailing economic hardship.
According to him, the action became necessary to draw attention to the worsening conditions faced by workers and the need for responsive governance.
Emelieze lamented that many federal workers were yet to fully benefit from the implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
He also called for the immediate payment of the outstanding wage award balance, promotion arrears, the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and other outstanding entitlements owed to workers.
Describing the current minimum wage as inadequate, Emelieze urged the Federal Government to urgently review workers' salaries to reflect the rising cost of living.
He further called for the introduction of a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) or the immediate resumption of wage award payments to cushion the impact of inflation on workers.
The FWF also urged the government to provide free education for the children of federal workers in federal institutions, establish a functional vehicle loan scheme and introduce a special family support allowance for civil servants.
Emelieze appealed to the government to reduce or remove tariffs on essential goods and services to ease the economic burden on Nigerians.
On security, he called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to rescue kidnapped children in Oyo State and other victims of abduction across the country.
The forum also criticised what it described as the silence of organised labour on issues affecting workers, urging the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to declare a two-day nationwide strike and protest against insecurity and economic hardship.
