The Federal Government has assured public servants that the outstanding wage award will be paid before the middle of August, while promotion arrears are also being processed as part of efforts to fulfil its commitments to workers.
The assurance was given during a meeting between the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and the leadership of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Trade Side, led by its National President, Kabiru Minjibir.
According to a statement issued by the Head of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Efe Ovuakporie, the minister said the government had already started addressing many of the concerns raised by workers even before receiving the council’s formal communication.
Oyedele reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to resolving genuine labour issues through dialogue and constructive engagement.
“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,” the minister said.
He disclosed that the approvals required for the payment of the outstanding wage award were being finalised and expressed confidence that eligible public servants would begin receiving the payments before the middle of August.
The minister also assured workers that outstanding promotion arrears are receiving the necessary attention, with pending batches currently being processed in line with approved procedures.
He directed relevant government officials to review all documents submitted by the JPSNC, work with the appropriate Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and speed up action on outstanding labour-related matters.
While acknowledging workers’ concerns over delays in implementing previous agreements, Oyedele said the government would continue to build trust through transparency, regular consultations and prompt action.
“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,” he added.
Earlier, JPSNC National President, Kabiru Minjibir, commended the minister for meeting with the union and appealed for the speedy resolution of outstanding labour issues, including the wage award, promotion arrears and salary relativity concerns affecting health workers.
He said implementing the government’s commitments promptly would strengthen industrial harmony and boost workers’ confidence.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working closely with organised labour to ensure workers’ approved entitlements are processed without unnecessary delays.
The Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammed Danjuma, disclosed that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which were omitted during an earlier payment exercise, are now being processed alongside Batch 9.
He added that the Federal Government is also working with relevant MDAs to resolve issues relating to the Peculiar Allowance and other outstanding labour matters.
Providing an update on the payment process, Director of the Cash Management Department, Christiana Osho, said reconciliation of the outstanding wage award has been completed and the release of funds is now at the final stage.
According to her, eligible public servants will begin receiving the outstanding wage award once the funds are released, while the processing of promotion arrears will continue according to the approved schedule.
Both the Federal Government and the JPSNC reaffirmed their commitment to sustained dialogue and collaboration aimed at resolving outstanding labour issues and maintaining industrial harmony across the federal public service.
