Civil servants demand 40% allowance, promotion arrears, warn of rising restiveness

Civil servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Trade Union Side, have urged the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to urgently implement the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and pay outstanding promotion arrears.

 

The workers warned that continued delays could increase restiveness across the public service, telling the minister that “a stitch in time saves nine.”

 

In a letter signed by the council’s National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga, the JNPSNC commended the Federal Government for paying two months of outstanding wage award but said the 40 per cent allowance and promotion arrears for batches seven and nine remained unresolved.

 

The council recalled that it had raised the issues with Oyedele in a July 9, 2026 letter, following which the minister met with its leadership on August 5.

 

The workers commended the minister for acting on the outcome of the meeting, particularly the payment of the outstanding wage award before the agreed August 15 deadline.

 

“However, it will be recalled that another major issue that was presented before your esteemed person was the matter affecting the implementation of 40 per cent peculiar allowance that must reflect the N70,000 national minimum wage,” the letter stated.

 

According to the council, the allowance is backed by a circular issued by the then Executive Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Eyo Nta, with implementation effective from May 1, 2026.

 

The workers appealed to Oyedele to accelerate the implementation of the circular and remove what they described as administrative bottlenecks.

 

“The essence of this letter is to once again invite your office to the urgent need to revisit this issue and accelerate the implementation of the circular without any administrative red-tape blockade,” the council said.

 

The JNPSNC also insisted that financial constraints should not be used to delay payment.

 

“The national leadership of JNPSNC wants to state without hesitation that the Federal Government can implement this circular without a pinch of excuse(s) because resources are adequately available to pay the money,” it stated.

 

On promotion arrears, the council demanded payment for batches seven and nine, which it said were still being processed.

 

The workers urged the government to resolve both issues without issuing another ultimatum, stressing that they wanted to avoid a fresh confrontation.

 

However, the council warned that dissatisfaction was building among public servants.

 

“There is no doubting the fact that potential spontaneous reactions are building up among workers due to restiveness on this subject matter in the public service among public servants,” it said.

 

The council therefore urged the minister to act promptly, concluding its appeal with the warning: “A stitch in time saves nine.”

 

The latest demand comes after the government cleared the outstanding wage award, leaving the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and promotion arrears as major unresolved issues for the public service unions.