Rattawu suspends strike as FG pays N42.6bn arrears today

By Inalegwu Shaibu

ABUJA—The Federal Government will today start the payment of N42.618 billion arrears of monetization money owed the striking members of Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), just as the union also yesterday announced the suspension of the industrial action embarked upon to protest the non-payment of the arrears.

The decision to shelve the strike was, however, dependent upon the confirmation of payment of the arrears into accounts of members of RATTAWU and on the condition that government would pay the balance of N42.1 billion during first quarter of 2010.

Both decisions were taken yesterday at a meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Information and Media in Abuja.

Present at the meeting were Minister of Labour, Chief Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN), the Permanent Secretary in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, the National President of RATTAWU, Comrade Yemisi Bamgbose, Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Mrs. Remi Oyo, the Director General of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Dr. Usman Magawata, Director General Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Mallam Yusuf Nuhu and other union leaders.