The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSNC, Trade Union Side, has called on the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to convene an urgent meeting over the delayed payment of two months’ wage award and the implementation of the 40 percent peculiar allowance for federal workers.
The JNPSNC stated that it was seeking an audience with the minister on or before August 11, warning that failure to resolve the issues could spark unrest among public servants.
In a letter addressed to the minister and signed by the council’s National Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo, on behalf of the National Chairman, Benjamin Yanto, the union expressed concern that two earlier letters on the subject had not been responded to.
According to the JNPSNC, the requested conference was aimed at reaching an amicable resolution to workers’ outstanding welfare concerns and averting a “brewing industrial crisis.”
It said, “The national leadership expects that this meeting will help to address the above-stated outstanding issues to prevent palpable disquiet and the brewing industrial crisis.”
The council said its demands were about two main issues: the implementation of the 40% unique allowance approved by the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission and the payment of a two-month wage award for March and April 2026 that is still unpaid.
The union stated that the allowance was approved by a circular signed by Eyo Nta, executive chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, and would take effect on May 1, 2026, but it has yet to be implemented.
It further argued that the outstanding salary award for March and April should have been paid in conjunction with the workers’ salaries for those months.
The JNPSNC stated that it initially wrote to the minister on May 5, 2026, demanding payment of the outstanding wage award, and then followed up with another letter dated July 9, 2026, requesting both the implementation of the 40% unique allowance and payment of the wage award arrears.
“To the surprise of the national leadership, none of the letters was responded to, let alone addressing the sensitive issues raised therein,” the union said.
The council also claimed that the prolonged silence from the finance ministry had heightened anxiety among federal workers.
“It is informative to add that the entire public service has viewed the silence of the minister of finance since his resumption as minister as a surreptitious and clandestine way of compromising the necessary essence of directing the accountant general of the federation to effect the full payment of the two months’ outstanding wage award and the implementation of the circular on the 40 percent peculiar allowance effective May 1, 2026,” the letter added.
Speaking of possible consequences if the issues remain unresolved, the union said its latest request should be regarded as an effort to prevent workers from embarking on drastic actions.
“This request should be seen as a proactive approach from the national leadership to avert drastic actions from workers due to your insensitive silence to our two previous letters,” it stated.
The JNPSNC is the umbrella bargaining body that represents unions across the federal public sector on salary, allowance, and working conditions.
The latest warning adds to mounting pressure on the federal government to fully implement agreements struck with organized labor following the elimination of gasoline subsidies in 2023, as well as the implementation of measures to mitigate the impact of rising living costs on employees.
As part of an agreement with organized labor, the federal government implemented a temporary monthly wage award in the interim until a new national minimum wage was implemented.
Despite payments being made for several months, labor unions have continued to complain about outstanding arrears, particularly the unpaid salary award for March and April 2024.
Similarly, the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission issued a circular granting a 40% unique allowance for qualifying federal public personnel effective May 1, 2026.
However, labor leaders have claimed that several ministries, departments, and agencies have yet to follow the instruction, sparking further worker discontent.
