FCTA workers receive January salary last Friday

Wage Award Arrears Partially Paid Amid Planned NLC Protest

Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) received their January salaries last Friday, alongside one month’s payment from the five months’ arrears of the Wage Award owed to them.

With this latest payment, two months out of the five months’ Wage Award arrears have now been settled. The remaining three months, according to information available, are scheduled to be paid alongside workers’ salaries for February, March, and April.

Despite this development, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is mobilising workers in other sectors to embark on a protest scheduled for Tuesday, even though those workers are expected to be at their duty posts. Notably, the FCTA workers, on whose behalf the NLC is organising the protest, were fully at work last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and are also expected to report to work again tomorrow.

Observers have also pointed out that more than 20 states across the country have either stopped paying the Wage Award or have not implemented it at all, without any significant action taken by the NLC in those cases. In contrast, the FCT has continued payment and has already cleared two months of the five months’ arrears.

This situation has raised questions among stakeholders, with many calling on the NLC leadership to clearly state its specific demands from the FCT, given that payments are ongoing and commitments have been made to clear the outstanding arrears within a defined timeline.