Labour Sets Deadline To FG Over Unpaid Wages
Organised labour in the federal public service has handed the Federal Government a Friday deadline to pay three months of outstanding wage awards and other allowances owed to workers in ministries, departments and agencies.
The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council warned that failure to release the funds by February 27, 2026 could trigger action by eight civil service unions.
The dispute stems from the N70,000 minimum wage approved after the removal of fuel subsidy, with the wage award meant to cushion workers until full implementation began in July 2024.
Union leaders said although part of the money was paid after pressure, three months have remained unsettled since then, deepening frustration across the service.
In a letter to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the unions said the delay has dragged on for over two years.
They claimed agencies are ready to process payments but cannot do so because funds have not been released, accusing the finance ministry of holding back the money.
Beyond the wage award, labour is also demanding payment of promotion arrears, salary backlogs for workers recruited between 2015 and 2024, and proper calculation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance based on the new minimum wage.
The unions cautioned that workers should not bear hardship over delayed entitlements and copied relevant offices and labour centres in their notice.
