Strong indications emerged yesterday in Abuja that the striking leadership of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Education Wing, might call off its over three-week-old indefinite strike action tomorrow, Wednesday.
It will be recalled that the teachers of the 104 Federal Government Colleges and workers at the Federal Ministry of Education have been on indefinite strike over unpaid salary arrears and allowances to the tune of N1.8 billion.
A member of the union who spoke to our reporter in confidence said that the strike would likely be suspended tomorrow, Wednesdayimmediately after the scheduled meeting with the Ministry Management slated for 3pm.
It was also gathered that following the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu, the Federal Budget Office had released the sum of N527.6m to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the settlement of salary arrears and entitlements of staff of the Unity Schools.
Our sources disclosed that the fund released was part of the arrears and entitlements estimated at N1.8 billion and enable the Federal Ministry of Education commence the payment of the first batch of promotion arrears.
Although, ASCSN in a statement by its Secretary-General, Mr. Alade Lawal, Thursday last week insisted that the strike would continue until all their demands were met.
He particularly, said that the payment of promotion arrears to its members in the Federal Ministry of Education Headquarters, the Inspectorate Offices and the unity colleges must be made before the strike is suspended.
However, it was not clear as at the press time if the Federal Government has met all the demands of the staff Union.
But the Organising Secretary of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Comrade Musa Abbas, confirmed to our reporter yesterday of the scheduled meeting with the Management of Federal Ministry of Education.
As part of the agreement reached last Wednesday at a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Productivity, both parties to the dispute were to get the necessary mandate of their principals ahead of today meeting for the strike to be reviewed.
The workers are on strike over allowances that have accumulated over the years including outstanding promotion arrears for 2007-2010 and the balance of 2011; arrears of salaries to some staff for July, August, September, and October 2013; end-of-year incentives; non-payment of 1st 28 days in lieu of hotel accommodation; 2010 mandatory training; repatriation allowance; duty tour allowance to affected officers, among others.
