By Ijeoma Agbafo
The Nigeria Union of Railwaymen (NUR) has urged the Federal Government to urgently implement the 95 per cent salary enhancement approved for railway workers in 2022.
The President of the union, Innocent Ajiji, said on Thursday in Lagos that the delay had become the workers’ major source of frustration, noting that railway employees worked under hazardous conditions but earned salaries that did not reflect the nature of their duties.
Ajiji recalled that the union had engaged former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on improved salaries, welfare and allowances before embarking on a three-day warning strike. He said the Federal Government subsequently approved a 95 per cent salary enhancement in January 2022, but the decision had yet to be implemented.
The union leader also decried poor welfare, saying many train crews lacked decent rest houses, while overtime, hazard, weekend and public holiday allowances remained unpaid. He added that workers continued to carry out maintenance with obsolete equipment and inadequate healthcare facilities.
AJiji urged the Federal Government to implement the approved salary increase, improve workers’ welfare and invest in railway workshops, locomotives, coaches and maintenance equipment, saying better conditions of service would enhance productivity, safety and efficiency in the nation’s railway sector.
