Federal Workers Protest Half Salary in January, Labour Assures Resolution

Federal government workers have raised concerns over receiving what they described as “half salary” for January, prompting the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) to take action.

Several civil servants reported discrepancies in their January salaries, with some alleging they were shortchanged. An assistant director in the federal civil service, who had received N510,000 in December, noted that his salary was reduced to N360,000 in January. He expressed concerns over the unexplained reduction and the absence of the newly approved minimum wage on his payment slip.

In response, Chairman of the Public Service Joint Negotiation Council, Benjamin Anthony, attributed the issue to an error within the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). He assured that the matter was being addressed, revealing that a formal letter had been sent to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, who in turn confirmed that corrective measures were underway.

Anthony emphasized that the salary discrepancy was an anomaly, as previous salary payments had not encountered such issues. He urged affected workers to verify their pay based on their respective grade levels and steps to identify any inconsistencies.

On concerns regarding the peculiar allowance of N40,000, Anthony clarified that while the allowance had been negotiated and approved by the federal government, a technical issue led to its removal from payroll. He assured that this error would be corrected, and affected employees would receive their due payments.

Addressing further complaints about the omission of the new minimum wage on payment slips, Anthony reassured workers that the adjustment had already been implemented. He cited examples of significant increases in salaries across various grade levels, highlighting that directors who previously earned around N500,000 were now receiving over N700,000.

The JPSNC chairman called on federal workers to channel their grievances through their respective industrial unions to facilitate proper documentation and resolution. He also urged the unions to compile and forward names of affected workers for prompt government intervention.

As efforts continue to rectify the salary discrepancies, workers have been advised to remain patient while awaiting official corrections from the government.