From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) has given the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, until August 11 to address outstanding welfare issues affecting federal workers or risk a nationwide industrial action.
The ultimatum comes less than a week after the minister said savings from the removal of petrol subsidy had been used to fund salaries, wages and other government obligations.
In a letter dated July 31, 2026, the council demanded an urgent meeting with the minister over the non-payment of two months’ wage award arrears and the delayed implementation of the 40 percent peculiar allowance for federal public servants.
The letter, jointly signed by the National Chairman, Benjamin Uyanto, and National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga, accused the minister of ignoring two previous letters on the same issues.
According to the council, the Federal Government is yet to pay the outstanding wage awards for March and April 2026 and has also failed to implement the 40 per cent peculiar allowance approved by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, which was expected to take effect from May 1, 2026.
The union said it first wrote to the minister on May 5, 2026, requesting payment of the outstanding wage awards before sending another letter on July 9, 2026, urging the implementation of the allowance alongside the outstanding payments.
“To the surprise of the National leadership, none of the letters was responded to, let alone addressing the sensitive issues raised therein,” the council said.
The JNPSNC said it had requested a meeting with the minister on or before Tuesday, August 11, 2026, to resolve the lingering issues before they escalate into an industrial dispute.
The council can hold the meeting at the minister’s office or any other venue convenient to him.
“The National leadership expects that this meeting will help address the critical and urgent outstanding issues to prevent palpable disquiet and a brewing industrial crisis,” it said.
The union argued that the minister’s silence since assuming office had created the impression that the government was deliberately delaying payment of the outstanding wage awards and implementation of the approved allowance.
The council warned that failure to resolve the issues could provoke widespread dissatisfaction among public servants and trigger industrial action.
It added that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other relevant government agencies had been notified of the development and the possibility of a nationwide strike if the demands remain unmet.
The JNPSNC described its latest letter as a proactive effort to avert an industrial crisis, urging the minister to engage with workers before the August 11 deadline.
