Federal workers have asked President Bola Tinubu to bring down the price of petrol to N500 per litre and raise the minimum wage to N300,000.
The demand was made by the Federal Workers Forum, FWF, in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by its National Coordinator, Mr Andrew Emelieze.
According to Emelieze, the position was taken at an online general meeting of federal workers held on Sunday.
He said workers want a town hall meeting with President Tinubu to discuss welfare and productivity, warning that they will join a three-day warning strike if their demands are not met by October 1.
FWF said it supports the call by the Joint National Public Service Negotiation Council, JNPSNC, that petrol should be sold at N500 per litre by September 30.
“We call on all federal workers to mobilise and prepare for any industrial action declared by labour leadership should the government fail to meet these demands,” he said.
The Forum said workers are expecting Tinubu to address labour concerns in his October 1 Independence Day broadcast.
“Failing, federal workers will be ready to embark on the three-day warning strike proposed by labour,” he said.
On salary, the Forum demanded a new pay structure with N300,000 as minimum wage and N1.5 million as maximum for Grade Level 17 officers to cushion hardship.
It also called for the restoration of wage award as Cost of Living Allowance, COLA, and prompt payment.
“We fully support labour’s fight for a living wage. Federal workers and the Nigerian populace have suffered enough,” he said.
Emelieze said the Federal Government is yet to fully implement the N70,000 minimum wage from July 2024, including consequential adjustments, arrears and the 40 per cent peculiar allowance.
“It is illogical to discuss a new wage structure when the N70,000 minimum wage has not yet been fully implemented by the Federal Government,” he said.
He asked the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, to change their approach in engaging government, and faulted the Organised Private Sector for opposing immediate wage review.
“We demand justice and a decent wage, not pity,” he said.
