NULGE suspend strike, orders FCT council staff to resume work Tuesday
By Sadiq Abubakar, Abuja.
The FCT chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has suspended its ongoing strike action, while directing both staff of the six area councils, including the non- teaching staff of the Local Education Authority (LEA) across the councils to resume work on Tuesday, January, 30, 2024.
Our correspondent had reported that the union on January, 12, 2024, embarked on strike over non -implementation and payment of arrears of 40 percent peculiar allowance as well as 25 percent CONHESS/CONMESS salary structure approved by the federal government to all civil servants and non-payment of N35,000 wage award palliative to civil servants tp cushion the effects of the subsidy removal among others.
The union, announced the suspension of the strike in a communique jointly signed by the FCT NULGE president, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Kabir and Comrade Ogueri Bridget, which was made available to newsmen at end of the emergency State Executive Council (SEC) meeting at NULGE secretariat in Gwagwalada, on Monday.
The union said the decision to suspend the strike followed the intervention of the FCT minister Nyesom Wike who assured to pay 40 percent of the total sum of all the outstanding arrears across the six area councils totalling N2.7 billion, which is to be paid in forum months.
The union, therefore, appreciated Wike for commiting the six area council chairmen to pay 60 percent balance accruing to each area council totaling N4.1 billion in four installments, which is to be deducted directly from the JAAC.
The communique, added that Wike’s resolve and commitment to seek clarification from the National Salaries Income And Wages Commission on the eligibility status of the area council workers in FCT to the 40 percent peculiar allowance and 25 percent CONHESS/CONMESS salary adjustment is quite commendable.
It however, noted that the amount involved stood at N6.9 billion, representing 100 percent of the total owed by the council chairmen.
The union further appreciated the minister for approving N400, 000: 000:00 (four hundred million) to be shared among the six area councils of as immediate commitment to suspend the strike.
“And after exhaustive deliberation on the above subject matter, an appreciable intervention and commitment of the FCT minister Nyesom Wike, the FCT NULGE SEC in session, therefore, resolved to suspend the ongoing strike action with effect from 29th January, 2024,” the union said.
The union, therefore, said failure by the FCTA and/of the area councils to abide by the agreement reached by the ministerial directive within the stipulated time will leave the union with no option than to resume the suspended strike.
They appreciated the resilience, support and steadfastness, prayers of its members in sustaining the strike action while it lasted.
