Workers set for showdown over N48billion promotion arrears
- The civil servants in Nigerian have threatened to storm three major ministries in Abuja
- The workers said they will protest the non-payment of the salaries and promotion arrears by the federal government
- They accused the Nigerian government of owing them arrears totaling N48 billion
Civil servants in Nigeria are set to storm the ministry of finance, the ministry of budget and national planing and the National Assembly over non-payment of their salaries and promotion arrears, New telegraph reports.
The arrears for the workers, NAIJ.com gathered is currently totaling N48 billion after N12.3 billion was provided as virement in the 2016 budget for the settlement of the payment owed.
NAIJ.com also gathered that the workers from different ministries, departments and agencies are mobilizing to storm the finance ministry and two others to demand the immediate payment of the backlog of the payments.
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The workers under the aegis of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) said the salaries were accumulated over time due to promotion exercise done by the Federal Civil Service Commission.
The workers said they will protest the non-payment of the salaries and promotion arrears by the federal government
A member of the association who spoke under anonymity said: “The trouble is that civil servants have not received any payments in respect of their 2013 promotion and salary arrears. You will recall that during the May Day celebration, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) raised this issue among others, but it appears that the clamour for a new minimum wage overshadowed it."
“This is a matter for which the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office of the Federation had earlier resolved that the arrears would be paid.
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The relevant circulars were issued and part of the arrears was even included in the 2016 budget. Now that budget cycle has elapsed, yet no payments were made to the civil servants who have been waiting for it.
“Our fear is that the federal government appears to be sweeping this matter under the carpet. But we won’t allow it to go because the workers have a legitimate right to these salary arrears that came as a result of their promotion.
"Every day, we see what is happening to retired civil servants; we see them on long queues waiting to receive their pensions and gratuities. Now we are not yet retired, but we can’t even get what is due to us. Are we working for the government for free? This is unacceptable,” the association member said.
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NAIJ.com earlier reported that despite the huge sum of money owed the workers, the Nigerian Labour Congress have continued to call for the increase in the minimum wage of Nigerian civil servants.
The deputy president of the congress, Peters Adeyemi while speaking on this years May Day celebration said the greatest gift the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration can give Nigerians is the commencement of negotiations of the minimum wage.
Adeyemi urged the president to give the call for minimum wage increase a genuine demonstration of will, to ensure its process comes to a logical conclusion.
Watch this NAIJ.com video of Nigerians reaction on remarks made by Northern elders on presidency in 2019 below