…. ASCSN Rejects N70,000 Salary, Says Rising Living Costs Have Crushed Workers’ Purchasing Power
…Labour Threatens Mass Picketing, Withdrawal Of Services
Demands Immediate Salary Review, Consequential Adjustments For Senior Cvil Servants
Daud Olatunji
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has demanded an immediate increase in the minimum monthly salary of the lowest-paid federal worker from N70,000 to N300,000, citing the rising cost of living and declining purchasing power of Nigerian workers.
The union also threatened nationwide picketing and withdrawal of services against federal institutions allegedly interfering in its internal affairs, warning that it would mobilise organised labour to resist any attempt to undermine its activities.
ASCSN National President, Comrade Shehu Mohammed, made the demands on Thursday in Abuja while addressing the association’s National Executive Council meeting.
Mohammed argued that the current N70,000 minimum wage had become grossly inadequate to meet workers’ basic needs, particularly amid soaring prices of food, transportation, energy and healthcare services.
He insisted that the Federal Government should not wait until the next statutory minimum wage negotiation cycle before reviewing workers’ salaries, stressing that an immediate and substantial adjustment had become necessary.
According to him, the proposed N300,000 minimum wage should be accompanied by appropriate consequential adjustments across higher salary grade levels to prevent salary distortions and ensure fairness within the civil service.
“Comrades, there is no maximum wage law in Nigeria. Rather than waiting until the next statutory minimum wage negotiation cycle, we demand that the Federal Government should act immediately by raising the salary of its lowest-paid worker to N300,000, with appropriate consequential adjustments across higher salary grade levels,” he said.
The union president also warned federal institutions against interfering in the association’s internal affairs, threatening to deploy lawful industrial measures if such alleged interference continued.
“We hereby warn that ASCSN, in association with organised labour, will not hesitate to deploy all lawful industrial mechanisms, including nationwide picketing and withdrawal of services, against any federal institution that attempts to hijack or destabilise ASCSN activities,” Mohammed added.
On the restoration of gratuity for federal public servants, the ASCSN president commended the Federal Government for approving the benefit but called for its immediate implementation.
He urged the relevant authorities to ensure transparent disbursement and eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, noting that retiring civil servants had waited long enough for the restoration of the entitlement.
Mohammed also called on the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to address capacity-building challenges in the public service through regular training and retraining of senior civil servants.
He said the increasing application of technology and artificial intelligence in public administration made continuous professional development imperative for an efficient and modern civil service.
On insecurity, the union acknowledged the efforts of the Federal Government and security agencies in tackling insurgency but expressed concern over persistent cases of kidnapping, banditry and attacks on highways.
He advocated the establishment of state police, urging the 36 state governors to prevail on the National Assembly to expedite the legislative process for its creation.
The association further raised concerns over alleged career stagnation among education officers in the Federal Ministry of Education, claiming that promotions into the directorate cadre on Grade Levels 15, 16 and 17 had recorded little or no vacancies in the past five years.
Mohammed urged the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Federal Civil Service Commission to review the ministry’s establishment structure and create more opportunities for qualified officers.
He equally demanded the payment of outstanding promotion arrears, peculiar allowances and retirement benefits under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
The union also called on state governments yet to implement consequential adjustments arising from the N70,000 national minimum wage to expedite the process.
It argued that improved allocations from the Federation Account had strengthened the financial capacity of state governments to meet their obligations to workers.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, has called for stronger collaboration between the Federal Government and organised labour, saying dialogue and partnership remain more productive approaches to resolving industrial disputes.
Speaking on the theme, “From Confrontation to Collaboration,” Dingyadi said government-labour relations should move beyond suspicion, strikes and prolonged disagreements towards constructive engagement.
He maintained that collaboration should not be mistaken for weakness or surrender but should reflect maturity and a shared commitment to resolving issues affecting workers and national development.
“Collaboration does not mean weakness. It does not mean surrender. It means maturity. It means that government listens, labour speaks and together we find solutions that work for workers and for the nation,” the minister said.
Dingyadi described workers as the country’s greatest asset, stressing that their welfare should remain central to government policies and public service reforms.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with ASCSN on the welfare of senior civil servants, pension administration, professional training, decent working conditions and the review of the national minimum wage through the Tripartite Committee.
The minister also called for a modern, motivated and respected civil service, insisting that sustained cooperation between government and labour would benefit workers and strengthen national development.
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