Finance minister assures public servants of timely payments as government intensifies efforts to resolve labour issues.
The Federal Government has assured public servants that the outstanding wage award will be paid before the middle of August, while promotion arrears are being processed as part of efforts to fulfil outstanding 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 on Wednesday by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Oyedele said the government had already begun addressing several of the concerns raised by organised labour and remained committed to resolving legitimate workers’ issues through constructive engagement. He assured the delegation that approvals for the outstanding wage award were being finalised and expressed confidence that eligible public servants would begin receiving payments before mid-August.
The minister also disclosed that outstanding promotion arrears were receiving attention, with pending batches currently being processed in line with established procedures. He directed relevant officials to review documents submitted by the council, engage affected Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and expedite action on unresolved issues requiring government intervention.
Oyedele acknowledged concerns over delays in implementing previous agreements but reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to transparency, regular consultations and prompt action to strengthen workers’ confidence in government.
Earlier, JPSNC President Kabiru Minjibir urged the Federal Government to expedite the payment of the outstanding wage award, promotion arrears, salary relativity for health workers and other pending labour issues, saying timely implementation would promote industrial harmony.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammed Danjuma, disclosed that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which were omitted during an earlier payment exercise, were now being processed alongside Batch 9. He added that the government was also working with relevant MDAs to resolve issues relating to the Peculiar Allowance and other outstanding labour matters.
The Director of Cash Management, Christiana Osho, said reconciliation of the outstanding wage award had been completed and that the release of funds was at the final stage. She explained that eligible public servants would begin receiving payments once the funds were released, while the processing of promotion arrears would continue according to the approved schedule.
Both the Federal Government and the JPSNC reaffirmed their commitment to sustained dialogue and collaboration to ensure the timely resolution of outstanding labour issues and maintain industrial harmony across the federal public service.