The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the payment of all withheld salaries of university workers in the country.

Ayuba Wabba, the NLC president, appealed in a resolution reached at the end of the National Administrative Council (NAC) of the congress in Abuja.

“We urged President Muhammadu Buhari, as a mark of goodwill, to direct the payment of all withheld salaries of university workers.

“The affected university workers are finding it difficult to cope with the prevailing economic challenges in the country,‘’ he said.

The federal government withheld salaries of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and others while they were on strike due to the “No Work, No Pay’’ policy of the government.

Mr Wabba said the congress also reiterated the call for a major wage review for workers in the public service.

Mr Wabba said the review was imperative given the considerably weakened value of the naira against all the currencies of the world.

He noted that this had made living costs unreasonably difficult for workers and ordinary Nigerians.

“Furthermore, it is quite important to remind the federal government that the last public sector wage review was done in 2011 and has since expired.

“The need for another review cannot be overstated given the excruciating economic realities in Nigeria today,’’ he said.

Mr Wabba further said the congress also expressed huge concern and palpable alarm on the increasing incidences of citizens’ difficulties and insufferable stress in accessing basic services and utilities.

“From long petrol queues to clandestine increases in the pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also commonly known as petrol, to an illegal hike in electricity tariff, to a debilitating inability to access the newly re-designed local currency.

“There are also deliberate roadblocks mounted against citizens who desire to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

“These are all signs of a nation in acute dire straits. It is sad, unfortunate and totally unacceptable,’’ he said.

He said the federal government must find ways to address the concerned issues.

“We call on those whose work it is to provide Nigerians access to affordable public services, amenities and utilities to undertake their responsibilities with utmost diligence and patriotism.

“Nigerian workers and citizens are not slaves. They deserve tolerable and indeed decent living conditions in order for them to continue to make contributions to the arduous task of nation-building.

“In light of this, we would want this statement to be a message to all those involved in these mischiefs and evil that we are mobilising our members across the country for a major protest,’’ he said.

(NAN)