FG Promises August Payment of Workers’ Wage Award

The Federal Government has assured public servants that outstanding wage award payments will be made before the middle of August, while efforts continue to clear promotion arrears. The move reflects the government’s commitment to resolving workers’ concerns through dialogue and timely action.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, gave the assurance during a meeting with the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Trade Side, led by its National President, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir.

Oyedele said the government had already started addressing many of the issues raised by the council, even before receiving its official communication. He stressed that the administration remained committed to handling legitimate labour matters through constructive engagement.

He said, “When government makes commitments, it delivers. We are not in the habit of making promises that cannot be fulfilled. Where there are outstanding issues, we will give realistic timelines and ensure they are implemented”.

According to a statement by Efe Ovuakporie, the minister disclosed that the required approval for the wage award payments was nearing completion. He expressed confidence that eligible public servants would begin receiving the outstanding payments before the middle of the month.

Oyedele also confirmed that promotion arrears were receiving attention, with pending batches undergoing processing according to approved procedures. He directed relevant officials to review documents submitted by the council, engage with concerned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and speed up action on unresolved matters.

The minister acknowledged concerns from organised labour over delays in fulfilling some agreements. However, he assured workers that the government would continue building trust through transparency, regular consultation and faster responses.

He stated, “Our objective is to build a system where issues are resolved proactively. We want workers to have confidence that once government gives its word, it will honour that commitment,”

Earlier, JPSNC Trade Side National President Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir praised the minister for meeting with the delegation and called for urgent action on pending labour issues. These include the outstanding wage award payments, promotion arrears, salary relativity concerns affecting health workers and other matters affecting public servants.

Minjibir said resolving the issues quickly would strengthen industrial harmony and improve workers’ confidence in the government’s commitment to their welfare.

The statement added that Christiana Osho, Director of the Cash Management Department at the Federal Ministry of Finance, confirmed that reconciliation for the outstanding wage award had been completed and payment release was at the final stage.

She explained that eligible workers would receive payments once the release was completed, while the processing of outstanding promotion arrears would continue according to the approved schedule.

The government and labour representatives reaffirmed their commitment to continued dialogue and cooperation to resolve outstanding issues and maintain peace across the Federal Public Service.

Do you think faster implementation of labour agreements can improve trust between workers and government?