The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, has issued the Federal Government an August 11 deadline to resolve outstanding welfare issues affecting federal workers, warning that further delays could trigger industrial unrest.
The council called on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to urgently convene a meeting to address the non-payment of two months’ wage awards and the delayed implementation of the approved 40 per cent peculiar allowance for eligible federal public servants.
In a letter signed by the council’s National Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo, on behalf of the National Chairman, Benjamin Yanto, the union expressed disappointment that two previous letters sent to the ministry on the matter had gone unanswered.
According to the union, the proposed meeting is intended to find a peaceful resolution to the outstanding welfare issues before tensions escalate.
“The national leadership expects that this meeting will help to address the above-stated outstanding issues to prevent palpable disquiet and the brewing industrial crisis,” the council stated.
The JNPSNC said its demands focus on two unresolved matters: the implementation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and the payment of wage awards for March and April 2026.
The union recalled that the NSIWC approved the allowance through a circular signed by its Executive Chairman, Eyo Nta, with effect from May 1, 2026. However, it noted that the directive has yet to be implemented across the federal public service.
It also maintained that the wage awards for March and April should have been paid alongside workers’ salaries for those months.
According to the council, its first letter requesting payment of the outstanding wage awards was sent on May 5, 2026, while a follow-up letter dated July 9 sought both implementation of the peculiar allowance and payment of the outstanding arrears.
“To the surprise of the national leadership, none of the letters was responded to, let alone addressing the sensitive issues raised therein,” the letter added.
The union alleged that the prolonged silence from the Finance Ministry had heightened concerns among workers and accused the ministry of failing to direct the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to implement the approved payments.
“It is informative to add that the entire public servants have viewed the silence of the Minister of Finance since his resumption as minister as a surreptitious and clandestine way of compromising the necessary essence of directing the Accountant General of the Federation to effect the full payment of the two months’ outstanding wage award and the implementation of the circular on the 40 per cent peculiar allowance effective May 1, 2026,” the council stated.
The JNPSNC warned that its latest appeal was a proactive effort to prevent industrial action if the unresolved issues remain unattended.
“This request should be seen as a proactive approach from the national leadership to avert drastic actions from workers due to your insensitive silence to our two previous letters,” it said.
The council explained that the Federal Government introduced the temporary monthly wage award after the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 as part of an agreement with organised labour pending the implementation of a new national minimum wage.
Although the government paid the wage award for several months, labour unions have continued to demand settlement of the outstanding payments for March and April 2026, alongside full implementation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
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