Tensions have escalated between the organized Labour and the Federal Government as workers express dissatisfaction over the government’s failure to sustain the payment of the N35,000 wage award. Workers in the Federal Civil Service revealed in separate interviews on Monday that the government had only honored the wage award for September.
The wage award was initiated following the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu as a measure to alleviate the hardship caused by the subsidy removal. The Chairman of the National Salaries Wages and Income Commission, Ekpo Nta, signed a memo stating that the payment of the wage award would commence on September 1, 2023.
However, investigations indicated that the government had only paid the wage award for September, leaving workers in uncertainty. A senior civil servant expressed confusion, stating, “We are all confused as there has been no official communication from the government as regards the matter.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expressed disappointment, with Benson Upah, the Head of information at the NLC, calling the government’s actions “dishonorable” and “completely unacceptable.” Upah confirmed that the NLC would take action, but the nature of the action would depend on the decisions of the appropriate organs within the congress.
In response to the workers’ concerns, the spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, assured civil servants that plans were underway to ensure the timely payment of the wage awards. Mokwa stated, “The process is ongoing. They will be paid. The process to pay the wage awards has commenced.”
Meanwhile, an analysis of the 2024 appropriation budget revealed that the Federal Government had allocated N1tn for minimum wage adjustments, promotion arrears, and severance benefits for civil servants. The head of information at the NLC, Benson Upah, emphasized that the congress would resist any imposition of a new minimum wage by the Federal Government.
While negotiations for the new minimum wage had not yet commenced, Upah expressed optimism that talks would begin soon, emphasizing the importance of collective negotiation among stakeholders.
