Federal workers back ₦500 petrol demand, threaten strike over wages
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
Federal workers have thrown their weight behind organised labour’s demand for an immediate reduction in the pump price of petrol to ₦500 per litre by September 30, warning they are ready to join a three-day warning strike if the government fails to act.
In a communiqué issued on Tuesday, after an online general meeting held on Sunday, the Federal Workers Forum (FWF) declared:
“We fully support calls for an immediate reduction in fuel prices and a living wage by the JNPSNC.”
The communiqué was signed by Comrade Andrew Emelieze, National Coordinator of the FWF and former TUC Chairman, Oyo State, and Comrade Ogundele Ayodele, General Secretary.
The forum said it was “unanimously agreed that all federal workers should fully support the calls by the Joint National Public Service Negotiation Council (JNPSNC) to reduce the pump price of petrol to ₦500 per litre by 30th September, 2026.”
“We further demand that this reduction be reflected in the prices of kerosene, diesel, and cooking gas,” the statement added.
The FWF called on federal workers to “mobilize and prepare for any industrial action called by labour leadership should the government refuse to meet these demands,” and urged all Nigerians to “express solidarity with organised labour to bring down the price of petrol.”
Wage award, COLA and minimum wage
The forum also voiced strong support for labour’s fight for a living wage, saying: “To continually suppress wages is proof of bad governance and irresponsibility on the part of the government.”
It demanded “the immediate reinstatement of the wage award—this time as a reasonable Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)—and demand that its payment must not be delayed as it was in the past.”
On the minimum wage, the FWF called on the JNPSNC to “hold the government accountable by demanding the full implementation of the ₦70,000 minimum wage effective from July 2024, along with the consequential adjustment arrears and the 40% peculiar allowance.”
“It is illogical to discuss a new wage structure when the ₦70,000 minimum wage has not yet been fully implemented by the federal government,” the statement said.
Beyond that, the forum demanded “an immediate review of federal workers’ salaries to a minimum of ₦300,000 and a maximum of ₦1.5 million for Level 17 officers to cushion the current economic hardship.”
Subsidy removal ‘a scam’
The FWF blamed worsening living conditions on the removal of the petrol subsidy, which it described as “a scam designed to extort the citizenry.”
“Numerous compelling arguments have proven that no actual subsidy existed. The government is merely looking for excuses to increase the pump price of petrol as a form of indirect taxation, fundraising, and devaluation of the Naira,” the communiqué read.
Unity colleges and King’s College
The forum also condemned moves to concession or privatise unity colleges, singling out King’s College, Lagos.
“Our position is clear: the federal government must halt its obscure ideological agenda of handing public schools over to the private sector. Instead, the government must responsibly continue to fund education as a constitutional duty,” the statement said.
Attack on politicians and OPS
The FWF took aim at politicians now criticising the ₦70,000 minimum wage, calling it “the highest form of hypocrisy.”
“We view this as the highest form of hypocrisy and send a clear message to these politicians: we do not need their sympathy. We deserve justice and a decent wage, not pity,” the forum declared.
It also rejected objections from the Organized Private Sector (OPS) to an immediate wage review for federal workers, describing the OPS stance as “unfortunate, suppressive, and reactionary.”
“The OPS has proven to be anti-worker and opportunistic, lacking a sense of justice. Encouraging the exploitation of labour and keeping salaries low is inhumane and unconscionable,” the statement said.
The forum called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to “review their tactics and develop new strategies for engaging the government on workers’ welfare to achieve better results.”
It specifically addressed TUC President Festus Osifo, urging him to “focus on the core concerns of workers and stop fueling crises within the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN).”
“Comrade Osifo has enough responsibilities within his purview without encouraging disobedience to court judgments—an action unbecoming of a true labour leader and a law-abiding citizen.
“The court ruling regarding the ASCSN is very clear in affirming Comrade Bola Innocent Audu as the legitimate leader of the union. The TUC must not place itself above the law or support illegality,” the FWF said.
The forum also called for “an immediate town hall meeting between federal workers and Mr. President to discuss the needs of workers and strategies to boost productivity.”
FWF asked the United Nations to “consider classifying the systemic exploitation of labour and the payment of starvation wages—as seen in Nigeria—as a crime against humanity.”