Organised labour in the federal public service has given the Federal Government a Friday deadline to release funds to settle three months of unpaid wage awards and other pending allowances owed to workers across ministries, departments and agencies.
The ultimatum was issued by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Trade Union Side, representing the eight unions in the civil service.
The demand was communicated in a letter addressed to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
The dispute dates back more than two years to the implementation of a N70,000 minimum wage approved after the removal of fuel subsidy.
Partial payments followed sustained pressure, but labour leaders say three months of wage award payments have remained outstanding since July 2024.
In the letter to the finance minister, the unions said the wage award was introduced as a cushioning measure following the fuel subsidy removal and was intended to run until the commencement of the new minimum wage implementation in July 2024.
The council stated that five months of wage award payments were initially left unpaid, and that two months were later paid following pressure, leaving a balance of three months since July 2024 still unsettled.
The unions also listed other financial obligations requiring attention.
These include promotion arrears for workers promoted more than three years ago, salary arrears for employees recruited between 2015 and 2024, and accurate payment of a 40 per cent peculiar allowance based on the N70,000 minimum wage.
Labour leaders said relevant government agencies are prepared to process payments once the funds are released. They accused the Federal Government of withholding funds needed to settle the outstanding wage award obligations.
The deadline set by organised labour is Friday, February 27, 2026. The unions warned that failure to meet this deadline would compel the civil service unions to take decisive action.
Copies of the letter 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, the Trade Union Congress, security agencies, and affiliate unions for attention.
The demand underscores ongoing tensions over delayed wage award payments in the federal public service.
The inclusion of other outstanding financial obligations in the unions’ letter indicates broader concerns about the timely settlement of workers’ entitlements.
If the funds are released by the deadline, federal workers may receive the outstanding wage award and allowances that labour leaders say have been pending since mid-2024.
