The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on all public sector unions to provide updates on the steps taken to secure the full payment of outstanding wage arrears owed to federal workers.
The NLC made this known in a letter signed by its president, Joe Ajaero, and sent to union leaders on Monday. The letter reminded unions of the unresolved issue of minimum wage arrears and urged stronger collective action to push the Federal Government to fulfill its commitment.
The wage arrears stem from a temporary wage award introduced in 2023 as part of a deal between the government and labour unions to ease the impact of ongoing economic reforms on workers. At the time, labour leaders had threatened a nationwide strike if the government failed to support workers with cost-of-living measures.
Although some payments were made in phases, many federal workers are still waiting for the remaining arrears to be paid.
In the letter, Ajaero said, “We are at a critical juncture where we need to push for stronger collective action with unified voices to escalate and bring this matter to a conclusive end.”
He asked union leaders to send in detailed reports on actions taken, any responses received, and progress made so far. The NLC set a deadline for these reports to reach the national secretariat before the end of the month.
The labour body said it would use the information to decide on the next line of action and warned that further delays could lead to escalated union pressure.
“We must all work together to compel compliance if the federal government fails to meet this demand,” the letter said.
The NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have consistently called on the government to meet its obligations to workers, especially in light of the economic hardship faced by many Nigerians.
