The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has directed its members across the six area councils to proceed on an industrial strike from today, September 11.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Union gave directives for the strike, following an emergency meeting of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) held at Teachers’ House in Gwagwalada.
It was learnt that the teachers called for the strike over non-payment of 25 months’ salary arrears and the non-implementation of a 40 per cent peculiar allowance by the council chairmen.
“The SWEC in-session resolved to direct all primary school teachers to embark on an infinite strike action from Monday, September 11, 2023,” the communique issued at the end of the meeting reads in part.
The communique, which was jointly signed by the NUT State Chairman, Comrade Stephen Knabayi and Secretary, Margaret F. Jethro, added that the council chairmen had also failed to pay other outstanding allowances.
They said these included non-implementation of promotion arrears, non-upgrading of concerned teachers, non-implementation of annual increments, non-implementation of promotion letters released for teachers, among others.
“And having explored and exhausted all available avenues of getting these outstanding demands of the concerned teachers met without the desired result including non-commitment of the councils to the welfare of primary school teachers, the SWEC in-session resolved to direct all primary school teachers to embark on an infinite strike action from Monday; September 11, 2023,” the communique read in part.
The Union vowed not to call off the strike until its demands are met while calling on parents across the FCT to remain guided by keeping their wards and children safe at home.
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike is expected to wade into the issue to ensure children in the FCT’s public primary schools return to their classrooms in earnest.
TNG reports both secondary and primary schools in the FCT resume today for the first term of the 2023/2024 academic session.
