The Federal Government has assured public servants that the outstanding wage award would be paid before the middle of August, adding that their promotion arrears are being processed as part of ongoing efforts to fulfil its commitments to workers.
The assurance was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, during a meeting held in Abuja with the leadership of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) Trade Side, led by its National President, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir.
The minister confirmed that government had already commenced work on many of the issues presented by the Council even before receiving its formal communication, adding that the administration remains committed to resolving legitimate labour concerns through constructive engagement.
He explained: “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.”
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According to him, necessary arrangements for payment of the outstanding wage award are being concluded and expressed confidence that eligible public servants would begin receiving the payment before the middle of the month.
While assuring the labour group that promotion arrears are being attended to with the outstanding batches being processed in line with established procedures, Oyedele directed the ministry’s staff to immediately review all documents presented by the Council, work with the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and accelerate action on all outstanding matters requiring government intervention.
Oyedele acknowledged the concerns expressed by organised labour over delays in implementing some agreements but assured the delegation that the Federal Government would continue to strengthen trust through openness, regular consultation and prompt action.
He said: “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 in his address, the National President of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Trade Side, Comrade Kabiru Minjibir, commended the minister for hosting the delegation and appealed for the speedy resolution of pending labour issues, including the outstanding wage award, promotion arrears, salary relativity concerns affecting health workers and other matters affecting public servants.
The labour said timely implementation of the outstanding commitments would further strengthen industrial harmony and boost workers’ confidence in government’s resolve to address their welfare.
In his remarks, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Raymond Omachi, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working closely with organised labour to ensure that approved workers’ entitlements are processed and released without avoidable delays.
He said the ministry would continue to engage relevant government institutions to fast track the resolution of outstanding labour issues, stressing that constructive dialogue remains the most effective path to sustaining industrial harmony.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, in the ministry, Mohammed Danjuma, assured the labour delegation that government was making steady progress in addressing outstanding workers’ entitlements.
He disclosed that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which was inadvertently omitted during the earlier payment exercise, is now being processed alongside Batch 9, expressing confidence that beneficiaries would begin receiving their payments once processing is completed.
Danjuma further hinted that the government was working to address the issue of the Peculiar Allowance and other outstanding labour related matters in collaboration with the relevant MDAs.
Giving an update on the payment process, the Director, Cash Management Department of the ministry, Christiana Osho, disclosed that reconciliation for the outstanding wage award had been completed and that the payment release was at its final stage.
She explained that once the release had been made, eligible public servants will begin receiving the outstanding wage award, while processing of the outstanding promotion arrears continues in line with the approved schedule.
