The Federal Government has assured public servants that their long-awaited outstanding wage award will be paid before the middle of August, while efforts are also underway to clear delayed promotion arrears.
The assurance came from the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, on Wednesday during a meeting with leaders of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Trade Side, led by its President, Kabiru Minjibir.
Oyedele said the government had already started addressing several concerns raised by workers, stressing that resolving labour issues through dialogue remained a priority.
“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 explained that approvals required for the release of the outstanding wage award were being concluded, expressing confidence that eligible workers would begin receiving payments before mid-August.
Beyond the wage award, the minister assured workers that outstanding promotion arrears were being processed, with affected batches receiving attention according to approved procedures.
Officials of the ministry revealed that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which were missed during an earlier payment exercise, are now being handled alongside Batch 9.
The government also said discussions were ongoing with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to resolve other pending issues, including the Peculiar Allowance and concerns affecting some categories of workers.
The JPSNC leadership welcomed the engagement with the minister but appealed for quicker action on unresolved matters affecting public servants.
Minjibir said the timely fulfilment of government commitments would strengthen confidence among workers and promote industrial harmony.
“The prompt implementation of agreements reached with labour will go a long way in building trust and ensuring stability within the public service,” he noted.
The Director of the Cash Management Department, Christiana Osho, provided an update on the payment process, confirming that reconciliation of the outstanding wage award had been completed.
She said the release of funds had reached the final stage and eligible workers would begin receiving payments once the money was released.
The Federal Government and the JPSNC both reaffirmed their commitment to continued discussions, transparency and cooperation to resolve outstanding labour matters and maintain peace within the federal public service.
