Tension Rises As FG Stops Payment of N35,000 Wage Award, NLC Threatens Strike
- FG faces a potential showdown with labour unions over the alleged non-sustenance of the N35,000 wage award
- The head of information at the NLC, Benson Upah, described the government's failure as "dishonourable"
- Despite assurances from the accountant general of the federation that plans were underway to disburse the wage awards, workers have remained skeptical
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
FCT, Abuja - Workers in the Federal Civil Service have expressed dissatisfaction as the government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, reportedly failed to continue the payment of the N35,000 wage award, which was initially introduced in response to the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Source: Twitter
The wage award agreed upon in May 2023 was only paid for September, leading to growing discontent among civil servants.
Recall that following the removal of the fuel subsidy, Tinubu agreed to pay N35,000 to federal civil servants under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure.
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In a memo signed by the chairman, National Salaries Wages and Income Commission, Ekpo Nta, the government stated that the wage award payment would begin to take effect from September 1, 2023.
However, recent findings indicated that the government only paid the wage award for September, as disclosed by senior civil servants in the core ministries, departments and agencies.
Reacting, the head of information at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Benson Upah, in an interview with The Punch on Monday, December 11, said:
“This betrays the government’s dishonorable intentions and is completely unacceptable.”
Upah added that his development might lead to a nationwide industrial action if the government failed to address the matter.
Speaking with The Punch in Abuja on Monday, the spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, allayed the fears of civil servants.
Mokwa noted that plans were ongoing to ensure civil servants received their wage awards.
“The process is ongoing. They will be paid. The process to pay the wage awards has commenced.”
FG begins payment of workers' withheld salaries
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the federal government had commenced the payment of the November salaries of civil servants.
The workers whose salaries were initially withheld by the FG due to technical glitches and discrepancies on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform started receiving credit alerts of November salaries.
Several senior civil servants confirmed the development on Wednesday, December 6.
FG to pay N-Power 9-month arrears
Also, Legit.ng reported earlier that some participants in the federal government's N-Power program expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing postponement of their monthly stipend disbursements amounting to N30,000.
The beneficiaries emphasised that the persistent delays in receiving their N30,000 monthly stipends were causing increasing unease and frustration.
The program's enrollees were experiencing delays despite the federal government's earlier announcement that it would commence payment of the 9-month backlog.
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Source: Legit.ng
