Organised labour within the federal public service has issued a fresh warning to the Federal Government, demanding payment of three months’ outstanding wage award and other unpaid allowances owed to workers across ministries, departments and agencies.
The ultimatum, issued on Wednesday, the 25th of February, 2026, by the Trade Union Side of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, sets Friday, the 27th of February, 2026, as the deadline for compliance.
The council cautioned that if the government fails to act before the deadline, the eight unions operating within the civil service would be forced to take decisive steps.
Union leaders accused the government of intentionally holding back funds meant for workers, even though relevant agencies are said to be prepared to process the payments once the money is released.
They traced the dispute to the approval of the N70,000 minimum wage, which followed the removal of fuel subsidy. The wage award, they said, was introduced as a temporary relief measure pending full implementation of the new minimum wage.
READ ALSO: TUC Rejects Health Ministry’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy
Although some payments were eventually made after sustained pressure, the unions said three months of the wage award have remained unpaid since July 2024, heightening frustration among federal workers.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the union wrote: “This wage award has dragged on for over two years now since the implementation of (N70,000) Minimum Wage Payment was approved.”
The letter further stated that the wage award was designed to cushion the effect of subsidy removal and was expected to run until the new minimum wage took effect in July 2024.
“It is beyond the imagination and expectations of federal workers that federal government left five months unpaid abinitio, not until there was much pressure, there and then, federal government effected the staggered payment of two months, leaving the balance of three months since July, 2024 unpaid,” it added.