The Trade Union Congress(TUC) of Nigeria om Thursday demanded the payment of N35, 000 March and April wage award to civil servants.
President Bola Tinubu approved the payment of N35, 000 wage award to federal workers following the removal of petrol subsidy.
The payment was to last for six months.
But President of TUC, Comrade Festus Osifo urged the government to continue to pay the wage to federal workers until a new national minimum wage was negotiated.
Osifo said: “NEC in session discussed the issue of minimum wage, we insist that the only way to reflate your economy is when people have money to purchase items. When people lack purchasing power, the effect is that manufacturers will produce and keep on the shelf. So the minimum wage committee should hasten up to unveil a new minimum wage.
“On wage award, the last wage award paid to workers was February 2024. That of March and April 2024 has not been paid as we speak. We call on the government to release it so that when salary is coming in, the wage award should be paid too.
“While a number of states have been up and doing in terms of remitting the wage award, states like Benue has been lagging behind on workers welfare, Anambra is also culpable in this payment, we thought that since it is one State being led by an economist, he should be able to put on his thinking cap, Imo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi and Katsina are equally lagging behind.”
Osifo who also spoke on Port Harcourt refinery, said “Sometime last year, TUC made a visit to Port Harcourt refinery and the government told us that by April the refinery will start production, but till date nothing is working there. We urge the government to do everything possible to make it operational.”
On insecurity, the TUC leader said, “We call on the government to tame insecurity because farmers are no longer farming, we see what is happening in Benue and Jos. People need to go to farm to cultivate, that is what will reduce the price of goods and other commodities in our market.”
On electricity tariff hike, Osifo said, “We held our NEC where we reflected on the recent increment in electricity tariff, we consider this decision as being too hasty.
“There are provisions that ought to have been followed before you increase electricity tariff, there ought to be stakeholders engagement, but in this case it was not done.
“Today, electricity tariffs are being increased when some people are still using estimated billing. We had expected that by now every single house in Nigeria should have pre-paid metre, we insist that there must be stakeholders engagement to arrive at a critical decision like this.”