The fresh strike action embarked upon by cleaners engaged to clean various offices at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has entered the fourth day Thursday.
The workers resumed the suspended industrial action over allegation that their salary arrears remained unpaid by the administration.
It was learnt that the administration owed some of the cleaners up to six months’ salary arrears, while others were yet to be paid for three months.
On Wednesday, the protesting cleaners vowed not to return to work until all outstanding arrears were paid.
A representative of the cleaning contractor who preferred anonymity lamented that the cleaners have had to embark on strike before previous salaries were paid.
“We cannot comprehend what is happening in the present FCT Administration because the past administration which many people tagged as corrupt paid our stipends regularly,” he said.
According to him, it was a surprise that the relevant offices that should have made the payment engaged in blame game.
He said, “It might shock you to know that since November last year, we have embarked on strike four times.
“On every occasion, they kept telling us that the delay in payment of salary is caused by non approval by the Permanent Secretary, and the office of the Permanent Secretary will put the blame on Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) while AMMC on their part will blame Facility Management. We are therefore confused who is responsible for our problems.
“However, the fact remains that all the offices involved are part and parcel of FCT Administration.
“Some of our colleagues have not been paid for six months, while others are being owed three months salaries in this period of recession.
“Initially, they made us to believe that the problem is from Bank Verification Number (BVN) as introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria. But the way things are going, they have to look for another lie to tell us before we call off the strike.”
Meanwhile, officials at the FCTA declined comments on the matter.
Responding on behalf of the administration, the Special Assistant on Media to the FCT Minister, Abubakar Sani, said that all arrangements have been made to pay the outstanding salaries.
He said, “Before now, they were being paid on table payment basis (cash,) but unfortunately the administration discovered that some of them over the course of time were in the habit of bringing their relatives to replace them anytime they are leaving the job.
“They were taking advantage of the table payment system, so the administration insisted that their stipends should be paid directly into their bank accounts (E-payment) and they were asked to provide their accounts details.
“But the names they submitted contradicted the names in the bank account details they provided. So when it got to the CBN it bounced back. Now everything has been sorted out, and the FCT Minister has given approval for their payment. So those that have been screened and found not to have any issues with their accounts are going to be paid.
“However, on a more sustainable basis, the administration is looking inward to coming up with a permanent system of engaging cleaning contractors that will cater for the cleaning services in the administration, so that the cleaners will be paid directly by their employers.”