One of the agreements reached by organized labor and the federal government to lessen the impact of the elimination of subsidies on Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, was the payment of wage awards to Nigerian workers.
But at one point, the government stopped paying the salary award, a decision that stakeholders and activists criticized.
The announcement coincided with rumors that the government had reduced the 2023 supplemental budget’s salary award amount by N100 billion.
The Trade Union Congress also urged the government to pay civil servants the salary awards or face industrial action, while the Nigeria Labour Congress deemed the government’s actions to be dishonest.
Some federal civil officials affirmed that the federal government has begun disbursing the November 2023 wage award in an interview made on Tuesday. According to the source, “Payment arrived this morning, and other parties have also verified receipt in my organization.”
“Yes, the November 2023 wage award has been paid,” stated a senior government worker working in one of the Federal Government-owned schools outside of Abuja, confirming the fact.
Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the minister of state for labor, announced that the government would once more start paying salary awards in response to an ultimatum issued by organized labor.
