Federal Civil Servants have confirmed that they have finally received their wage awards for October 2023, after a temporary suspension of payment.
The wage award of N35,000 was initially agreed upon between the Federal Government and the Organized Labour as a measure to mitigate the impact of the removal of subsidy on petrol. President Bola Tinubu had initially announced a wage of N25,000 for “low-grade workers” in the Federal Civil Service, but this amount was later increased to N35,000 after discussions with the organized labor unions.
The government had stated that the payment of the wage award would be effective from September 1, 2023, but it appears that only the wage award for September was paid. Civil servants in Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies have expressed their disappointment, especially in light of reports that the government had reduced the allocation for the wage award in the 2023 supplementary budget by N100bn.
The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have both criticized the government’s actions and called for the payment of the wage awards to avoid potential industrial action.
Some civil servants have already begun receiving the wage award for October 2023, according to a senior civil servant. However, this payment does not include the wage awards for November and December.
The spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General, Bawa Mokwa, assured that all civil servants would receive their wage awards in due course.
