- Demand ₦300,000 Minimum Wage, COLA, Full Wage Implementation
- Opposes Concession Of Unity Colleges
THE FEDERAL Workers Forum (FWF) has thrown its weight behind organised labour’s demand for an immediate reduction in the pump price of petrol to ₦500 per litre, alongside renewed calls for a living wage and urgent measures to cushion the impact of the country’s worsening cost-of-living crisis.
The position is contained in a communiqué issued on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, following an online general meeting of federal workers held on Sunday, September 27.
The communiqué is signed by Comrade Andrew Emelieze, National Coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum and Comrade Ogundele Ayodele, General Secretary of the forum.
According to the forum, the meeting, which lasted from 2pm to 4pm, was attended by federal workers who unanimously endorsed the demands of the Joint National Public Service Negotiation Council (JNPSNC).
The workers called for the reduction in the price of petrol to ₦500 per litre by September 30, insisting that any reduction should also extend to other essential energy products, including kerosene, diesel and cooking gas.
The FWF urged federal workers to mobilise in readiness for any industrial action declared by labour leaders if the government fails to meet the demands.
It also appealed to Nigerians to support organised labour in the campaign for lower petrol prices, arguing that the rising cost of energy has placed an intolerable burden on workers and households.
The forum expressed disappointment over what it described as the government’s lack of serious commitment to addressing labour’s demands, saying workers were looking to the October 1 Independence Day broadcast for concrete action.
“Failing this, federal workers will be ready to embark on the three-day warning strike proposed by labour,” the forum stated.
Living Wage and Cost of Living Allowance
The workers also declared full support for labour’s campaign for a living wage, arguing that continued wage suppression was evidence of what they described as poor governance and disregard for workers’ welfare.
The forum demanded the immediate reinstatement of the wage award, but proposed that it should henceforth be structured as a reasonable Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). It further demanded that any such payment should be made without the delays that, according to the forum, characterised previous arrangements.
The FWF argued that workers and the wider population had borne the consequences of worsening living conditions since the removal of the petrol subsidy.
The forum strongly criticised the government’s explanation of the subsidy regime, describing the subsidy removal as an arrangement that had placed an excessive financial burden on citizens. It argued that claims surrounding the existence and operation of the subsidy deserved greater scrutiny and accused the government of using rising petrol prices as a means of indirect taxation and revenue generation.
Demand for Full Implementation of ₦70,000 Minimum Wage
Beyond the proposed living-wage negotiations, FWF called on the JNPSNC to insist on what it described as the full implementation of the ₦70,000 minimum wage. The group demanded that the federal government implement the minimum wage with effect from July 2024, including consequential adjustment arrears and the 40 per cent peculiar allowance.
According to the forum, discussions about negotiating a new wage structure should not proceed while the existing ₦70,000 minimum wage arrangements have not been fully implemented.
The workers also called for an immediate salary review, proposing a minimum federal workers’ salary of ₦300,000 and a maximum of ₦1.5 million for Level 17 officers.
The proposed salary range, the forum said, was intended to help workers cope with the current economic difficulties.
The group also criticised politicians who have recently condemned the ₦70,000 minimum wage, describing such criticism as hypocritical.
“We do not need their sympathy. We deserve justice and a decent wage, not pity,” the forum said.
Opposition to Concession of Unity Colleges
The FWF also declared solidarity with workers in Nigeria’s unity colleges, particularly over reported concerns surrounding the future of King’s College, Lagos.
The forum condemned any attempt to concession or privatise King’s College or any other unity college, arguing that public education should remain a responsibility of the federal government.
It called on the government to abandon what it described as an “obscure ideological agenda” of transferring public schools to private operators and instead continue to fund public education as a constitutional responsibility.
Criticism of Organised Private Sector
The forum also took issue with concerns reportedly raised by the Organised Private Sector (OPS) regarding an immediate review of federal workers’ salaries.
The FWF described the OPS position as “suppressive” and “reactionary”, arguing that private-sector employers were not responsible for paying federal government workers’ salaries.
The forum accused sections of the private sector of supporting low wages and labour exploitation, and maintained that workers should not be required to bear the full weight of the country’s economic difficulties through depressed earnings.
Call for New Labour Strategies
While reaffirming its support for organised labour, the FWF called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to review their strategies for negotiating workers’ welfare with the government.
It specifically directed criticism at the TUC and its President, Festus Osifo, over the ongoing dispute involving the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN).
The FWF alleged that Osifo and the TUC had contributed to tensions within the union and urged the TUC not to support what it described as disobedience to court judgements.
The forum maintained that a court ruling had affirmed Bola Innocent Audu as the legitimate leader of the ASCSN and urged the TUC to respect the rule of law.
Call For Presidential Town Hall
The workers also called for an immediate town hall meeting between federal workers and President Bola Tinubu.
According to the forum, such a meeting would provide an opportunity for workers to directly present their concerns to the President and discuss measures for improving workers’ welfare and boosting productivity.
The FWF further complained that its earlier 20-point charter of demands had not received adequate attention. It said the government had also failed to respond to its “Save Our Souls” appeal and reiterated calls for justice for prison inmates and the decongestion of correctional centres.
Appeal to United Nations
In one of the communiqué’s strongest demands, the forum appealed to the United Nations to consider whether systemic exploitation of labour and the payment of what it described as starvation wages in Nigeria should be classified as a crime against humanity.
The forum said the country’s workers had “suffered enough” and called for urgent action on wages, energy prices, education and broader economic conditions.
