THE organised labour in the federal public service has issued Friday, February 27, ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate release of funds to clear three months of outstanding wage awards and other unpaid allowances owed to workers across ministries, departments and agencies.
The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side) communicated the deadline in a letter to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, warning that failure to comply with the deadline would prompt the eight civil service unions to take decisive action.
Copies of the correspondence were also sent to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, security agencies and affiliate unions for necessary action.
The unions accused the government of withholding funds earmarked for workers, claiming that the relevant agencies were ready to process payments had the Ministry of Finance released the money.
The ICIR reports that dispute over the wage award has lingered for more than two years, following the Federal Government’s approval of a N70,000 minimum wage after the removal of fuel subsidy.
Labour leaders noted that although partial payments were made after sustained pressure, three months have remained unpaid since July 2024, increasing hardships among federal workers.
In a separate letter to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the union stated that the wage award, introduced as a cushioning measure after the fuel subsidy removal, was intended to run until the implementation of the new minimum wage in July 2024.
The unions expressed concern that five months were initially left unpaid and that only two months were later settled in installments after pressure from labour, leaving three months outstanding.
In addition to the wage award arrears, the unions highlighted other unresolved issues, including unpaid promotion arrears for workers promoted more than three years ago, salary arrears for employees recruited between 2015 and 2024, and the full implementation of a 40 per cent peculiar allowance tied to the N70,000 minimum wage.
Warning of possible industrial action, the unions stated that if the funds are not released by the February 27 deadline, the national leadership will take appropriate steps to defend workers’ interests.
They emphasised that workers’ entitlements must be treated with urgency and not subjected to prolonged delays.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.