From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has asked the federal government to immediately pay the N35,000 wage award to civil servants to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal as agreed by Labour and FG during their negotiations.
According to TUC, findings show that workers have so far only received the palliative once, which is for the month of September, since President Bola Tinubu made the commitment in October to pay the wage award for the period of six months.
Speaking at a press briefing shortly after the Congress’ emergency National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, the President of TUC, Festus Osifo, warned all the 36 State governments across the country and Federal Capital Territory FCT to “tighten” their belt in assuaging the plight of workers occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy in order to avoid fresh crisis in the country.
“We want the government to tighten their belts, government at all levels – the federal government, the state and local governments because a situation where they are asking Nigerians to keep tightening their belt and they (government officials) are living in affluence is not acceptable,” he said.
“On the issue of the wage award, it is on record that the payment has been made just once for the month of September, but as it is now, but as it is now, our members in the federal civil service have not been paid the ₦35,000 wage award since October. We wish to call on the government to fastrack all the payments now. We learnt that they’re putting some things in place to ensure the payment, but people are not ready to listen to excuses. Our demand is that they immediately pay this ₦35,000 wage award to the bank accounts of the federal civil servants without excuses.
“We want the government to tighten their belts, governments at all levels – the federal government, the state and local governments because a situation where they are asking Nigerians to keep tightening their belts and they (government officials) are living in affluence is not acceptable,” he said.