By David Aduge-Ani, Abuja

The joint unions of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), FCT chapter, have maintained their stance that their ongoing strike will only be suspended once council workers and primary school teachers in the territory begin receiving their backlog of salary arrears.

A state executive council member of the unions, who preferred anonymity, disclosed this to our correspondent via telephone. He stated that the joint unions executives outlined these conditions during two separate meetings last Thursday and Friday with the six area council chairmen in Abuja. The chairmen had pleaded for a strike suspension to allow for negotiations, but the meetings ended in a deadlock.

The joint unions expressed strong displeasure and disappointment with the council chairmen’s consistent breach of agreements and their failure to prioritize the welfare of primary school teachers and area council workers.

While acknowledging the implementation of the new minimum wage, the unions informed the chairmen that this was insufficient given the numerous other outstanding demands. The joint unions resolved that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike’s pronouncement to use 10% of the councils’ FCT IGR to offset the area council workers’ entitlements should be adopted.

“At the joint meeting, the unions also demanded that the payment should commence with the eight months’ arrears of the new minimum wage for LEAs and area council workers, amounting to over N16 billion,” the source added. “The unions also demanded that payments should be extended to other outstanding 40% peculiar allowance, 25% & 35%, N35,000 wage award, among other entitlements, whenever the eight months’ minimum wage arrears are liquidated.”

The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) had expressed concerns over the continuous strike, emphasizing its adverse effects on pupils’ lives. They appealed to the unions to suspend the strike, citing the implementation of the new minimum wage.

The joint unions have appealed to both primary school teachers and area council workers to remain calm as they await the Minister’s response to their joint correspondence.

Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas, the FCT wing chairman of the NUT, confirmed that the joint unions executives met with the six area council chairmen, stating, “Discussion is still ongoing. We shall let the media know whenever we resolve with the six area council chairmen.”

It was recalled that the six area council chairmen had last week paid the N70,000 new minimum wage to both primary school teachers and area council workers, leaving other backlogs of arrears unpaid.

Hon. John Gabaya, the chairman of Bwari Area Council and FCT ALGON secretary, had, at a press conference in Abuja last Tuesday, appealed to the joint unions to suspend their ongoing strike to allow pupils to resume classes and pave the way for negotiations on other pending unpaid arrears. However, our reporter gathered that the joint unions declined to suspend the strike, insisting that the backlogs of arrears and other entitlements be paid.

Primary school teachers and area council staff across the six area councils of the FCT have been on strike for over a month, due to the non-implementation of their new minimum wage and other backlogs of arrears. While the council chairmen have paid the new minimum wage, the workers are insisting on full payment of their eight months’ arrears.