FG stops N35,000 labour award payment

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The tension between the organized Labor and the Federal Government is escalating due to the government's failure to consistently fulfill the N35,000 wage award promised to workers.

Workers in the Federal Civil Service have expressed dismay, stating that the government only disbursed the N35,000 wage award for September, despite assurances of ongoing payments.

This wage award was initially proposed by the government after President Bola Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy upon taking office.

It was intended to alleviate the financial strain caused by this policy change.

A memo signed by Ekpo Nta, the Chairman of the National Salaries, Wages, and Income Commission, indicated the wage award would commence from September 1, 2023.

However, investigations reveal that only one payment was made, presumably for September, leaving workers bewildered and without any official communication on the matter.

A senior civil servant from a core government agency shared, "It seems we received the payment for September, but since then, there's been nothing.

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The lack of clarity from the government is leaving us all in confusion."

Another civil servant, speaking anonymously, echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the growing financial difficulties faced by workers:

"We've not seen any further payments beyond the initial one.

The government needs to understand the hardships we're facing. Our current salaries barely sustain us."

A civil servant in a Federal Government-owned school in Abuja reiterated that they only received payment for one month, presumably September.

Although certain allowances from previous administrations are still disbursed, there's been no sign of the promised wage award.

The sentiment expressed was a plea for the government to stop playing with the emotions of its workforce.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also expressed its disappointment through Benson Upah, the Head of Information, labeling the situation as a betrayal of government commitment and wholly unacceptable.

When asked about potential actions, Upah hinted at the likelihood of the NLC taking steps, but decisions would be determined by the appropriate bodies within the congress.

Communication with the government, according to Upah, typically precedes any decisive actions by the NLC.

The tension surrounding the payment of wage awards to civil servants received a bit of reassurance from Bawa Mokwa, the spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

In an interview, Mokwa assured civil servants that the process to disburse the wage awards had commenced and emphasized that they would receive their due payments.

Moreover, a recent analysis of the 2024 appropriation budget by the Budget Office of the Federation revealed that the Federal Government has allocated a substantial N1 trillion for minimum wage adjustments, promotion arrears, and severance benefits for civil servants.

However, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) remains vigilant regarding the possibility of a new minimum wage being imposed by the government.

Upah, the NLC's Head of Information, expressed the Congress's stance against any imposition of a new minimum wage.

He highlighted that while negotiations on this matter have yet to begin officially, the Congress is anticipating their commencement soon.

Regarding the negotiation process, Upah stressed the importance of collective bargaining involving all essential stakeholders: workers, employers (including the private sector), and the government.

He emphasized that fixing the national minimum wage should result from collective discussions, rather than unilateral decisions by any party.

Upah pointed out that any unilateral action could disrupt the collaborative process mandated by law and could negatively impact all parties involved.

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