FCT minister approves payment of minimum wage to councils’ staff, teachers

The Minister of the FCT, Malam Mohammed Musa Bello, has approved the payment of the new National Minimum Wage (NMW) to workers in the area councils and primary school teachers across the territory effective from May, 2021.

The approval was contained in a letter from the Director of Human Resources of the FCT Administration (FCTA), Malam Mohammed Bashir, intimating the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) of the minister’s approval.

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Malam Bashir noted in the letter that, “I am directed to inform you that the ministerial committee constituted by the FCTA to carry out the above mentioned exercise concluded the assignment and forwarded the report accordingly.

“Thus, it is gratifying to note that after due consideration, the administration has approved payment of the new national minimum wage to LEA teachers and area council staff with effect from May, 2021.”

The minister had in January, 2021, urged both the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and NUT to carry out screening of their members in the FCT to enable the FCTA know the staff strength.

Following the development, the FCT NUT said it had suspended the proposed resumption of its strike action slated for Monday, May, 3, 2021.

The NUT had threatened to resume strike if the FCTA failed to commence payment of the minimum wage to primary school teachers in the territory.

The acting Secretary of the FCT NUT, Comrade Margaret I. Jethro, made this known while speaking with newsmen at the end of an emergency meeting of the FCT wing of the executive committee of the union in Gwagwalada on Saturday.

She said the union’s decision to put the resumption of the strike action on hold was as a result of the renewed assurances and the letter of commitment by the FCTA to ensure implementation of the minimum wage.

However, she threatened that, “But in the event that the FCTA management reneges on its promise, the union will be compelled to reconvene by the end of May, 2021, to take appropriate labour action.”