Federal Workers Wage Award Deadline sparks tension as unions demand immediate release of three months’ unpaid allowances by February 27

Organized labour in the federal public service, led by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council Trade Union Side, has issued a firm ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate release of funds to settle three months of outstanding wage awards and other unpaid allowances owed to workers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Also read: Labour Party condemns Tinubu’s swift electoral act assent

The directive, communicated in a letter addressed to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, warned that failure to comply with the February 27 deadline would compel the eight civil service unions to take decisive industrial action.

The dispute, now framed around the Federal Workers Wage Award Deadline, centres on arrears linked to the N70,000 minimum wage approved after the removal of fuel subsidy.

Although partial payments were made following sustained pressure from labour leaders, three months of the wage award have reportedly remained unpaid since July 2024.

In correspondence addressed to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the unions described the delay as unacceptable and deeply troubling.

The letter stated that the wage award, conceived as a cushioning measure after subsidy removal, was to run until the implementation of the new minimum wage structure in July 2024.

Union officials alleged that while relevant government agencies were prepared to process the payments, they were constrained by the non release of funds from the Ministry of Finance.

The communication further suggested that the continued withholding of funds had intensified frustration within the federal workforce.

Beyond the wage arrears, the unions highlighted other outstanding obligations, including promotion arrears for workers elevated more than three years ago, salary backlogs affecting employees recruited between 2015 and 2024, and the implementation of a 40 per cent peculiar allowance tied to the revised minimum wage.

The letter warned that if the funds were not released by the stated deadline, the national leadership would take what it described as appropriate and resolute action.

Copies of the correspondence were forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, alongside security agencies and affiliate unions, signalling the seriousness of the standoff.

Also read: Labour suspends strike, orders FCT workers back to duty

As the Federal Workers Wage Award Deadline approaches, tensions remain palpable across the federal civil service, with thousands of workers awaiting clarity on payments many consider long overdue.