By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Federal workers may soon embark on drastic industrial action if the Federal Government fails to resolve the delayed payment of two months’ wage award and the implementation of a 40 per cent peculiar allowance before Tuesday,11 August, the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, has warned.
The threat is contained in a letter addressed to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and signed by the National Secretary of the council, Gbenga Olowoyo, on behalf of the National Chairman, Benjamin Yanto, following the minister’s failure to respond to two earlier letters on the matter.
The union accused the minister of maintaining a prolonged and suspicious silence over workers’ outstanding welfare demands, insisting that the situation had heightened anxiety among federal workers and could no longer be tolerated.
“It is informative to add that the entire public servants have 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 per cent peculiar allowance effective Friday, 1 May, 2026,” the letter stated.
The JNPSNC recalled that it first wrote to the minister on Tuesday, 5 May, 2026 requesting payment of the outstanding wage award, and followed it up with another letter dated Thursday,9 July,2026, seeking both the implementation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and the payment of the wage award arrears, only for both letters to be ignored.
“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.
Warning of the consequences of continued inaction, the council said its latest correspondence, demanding an urgent meeting with the minister on or before August 11, should be understood as a final attempt to avert unrest rather than a routine request.
“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,” the union stated.
It added that the requested meeting was intended to find an amicable resolution to the outstanding issues and prevent what it described as a “brewing industrial crisis.”
“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 letter read.
The council explained that its grievances centred on two unresolved issues, namely the non-implementation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, and the non-payment of two months’ outstanding wage award covering March and April 2026.
It noted that the allowance was approved through a circular signed by the Executive Chairman of the commission, Eyo Nta, with effect from May 1, 2026, but had yet to be implemented, while the wage award for March and April ought to have been paid alongside workers’ salaries for those months.
The JNPSNC is the umbrella negotiating body representing unions across the federal public service on issues relating to salaries, allowances and conditions of service.
The latest ultimatum adds to mounting pressure on the Federal Government to fully implement agreements reached with organised labour following the 2023 fuel subsidy removal and the introduction of measures aimed at cushioning the impact of rising living costs on workers.
The government had introduced a temporary monthly wage award as part of the agreement pending the implementation of a new national minimum wage, but although payments were made for several months, labour unions have continued to complain about outstanding arrears.
Similarly, while the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission issued a circular approving the 40 per cent peculiar allowance for eligible federal public servants effective May 1, 2026, labour leaders have maintained that many Ministries, Departments and Agencies are yet to implement the directive, fuelling fresh agitation among workers.
