The Federal Government has directed that all outstanding wage awards owed to public servants be paid before the middle of August.
The directive was issued by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, during a meeting with leaders of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) in Abuja on Wednesday.
A statement by Efe Ovuakporie, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Finance, said the meeting was attended by the JPSNC delegation led by its National President, Kabiru Minjibir.
Oyedele explained that the government had already begun addressing some of the issues raised by organised labour even before receiving the council’s formal submission.
He reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to meeting its obligations to workers through dialogue and constructive engagement.
“The objective is to build confidence by ensuring the government honours every commitment made,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the process for releasing the outstanding wage awards was in its final stage, expressing optimism that eligible workers would begin receiving payments before the middle of August.
He also directed relevant officials to examine the council’s submissions and accelerate action on all pending issues.
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Oyedele acknowledged concerns over delays in implementing workers’ entitlements and assured labour leaders of improved transparency, consultation and prompt action.
He further stated that outstanding promotion arrears were also being processed in line with approved government procedures.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, pledged stronger collaboration with organised labour, assuring workers that approved benefits would be processed without unnecessary delays.
Mohammed Danjuma, Permanent Secretary for Special Duties, said progress had been made on several workers’ entitlements, adding that the previously omitted batch seven promotion arrears were now being processed alongside batch nine.
He added that the government was engaging relevant agencies to resolve issues relating to peculiar allowances and other labour concerns.
Director of Cash Management, Christiana Osho, also confirmed that reconciliation of the outstanding wage awards had been completed and that the release of funds was at the final stage.
Responding on behalf of the workers, JPSNC President Kabiru Minjibir urged the government to urgently address unresolved labour issues.
He identified outstanding wage awards, promotion arrears, salary relativity for health workers and peculiar allowances as key issues requiring immediate attention.
Minjibir noted that prompt implementation of the agreements would promote industrial harmony and restore workers’ confidence in the government.
The meeting is understood to have temporarily halted the JPSNC’s planned August 11 ultimatum to the Ministry of Finance after both parties reached a last-minute understanding on the outstanding welfare issues.