Public sector workers under the aegis of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have issued the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to address the non-payment of two months’ wage award and implement the approved 40 per cent peculiar allowance.

It warned that continued silence could trigger industrial unrest across the federal public service.

The council, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), called on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to convene an urgent meeting on or before August 11 to resolve the lingering welfare issues.

In a letter addressed to the Minister and signed by the National Secretary of the council, Gbenga Olowoyo, on behalf of the National Chairman, Benjamin Yanto, the union expressed disappointment that two earlier letters on the matter had gone unanswered.

According to the council, the proposed meeting is aimed at finding an amicable resolution to the outstanding welfare demands and preventing what it described as a brewing industrial crisis.

“The national leadership expects that this meeting will help to address the above-stated outstanding issues to prevent palpable disquiet and the brewing industrial crisis,” the letter stated.

The JNPSNC said its demands centre on two unresolved issues – the implementation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance for federal public servants and the payment of the outstanding wage award for March and April 2026.

The council noted that the 40 per cent peculiar allowance was approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission through a circular signed by its Executive Chairman, Eyo Nta, with effect from May 1, 2026, but has yet to be implemented across the federal public service.

It added that the outstanding wage award for March and April should have been paid alongside workers’ salaries for those months but remains unpaid.

The union recalled that it first wrote to the finance minister on May 5, 2026, requesting payment of the outstanding wage award before sending another letter dated July 9, 2026, seeking both the implementation of the peculiar allowance and settlement of the wage award arrears.

“To the surprise of the national leadership, none of the letters was responded to, let alone addressing the sensitive issues raised therein,” the council said.

It argued that the prolonged silence from the ministry had heightened anxiety among federal workers, who now view the delay as an attempt to frustrate the implementation of approved welfare measures.

“It is informative to add that the entire public servants have viewed the silence of the Minister of Finance since his resumption as minister as a surreptitious and clandestine way of compromising the necessary essence of directing the Accountant General of the Federation to effect the full payment of the two months’ outstanding wage award and the implementation of the circular on the 40 per cent peculiar allowance effective May 1, 2026,” the letter added.

While reiterating its commitment to industrial harmony, the council said its latest correspondence should be seen as a final effort to avert avoidable disruption in the public service.

“This request should be seen as a proactive approach from the national leadership to avert drastic actions from workers due to your insensitive silence to our two previous letters,” the union stated.

The development raises the prospect of fresh labour tensions if the outstanding issues are not resolved before the expiration of the seven-day deadline, with public sector unions insisting that the government honour previously approved commitments on workers’ welfare.