The Federal Capital Territory Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers has directed primary school teachers to resume their suspended strike on Monday, January 15, 2024, until further notice.
This was contained in a communiqué dated January 12, 2024, following an emergency meeting of the State Wing Standing Committee.
The communiqué was co-signed by the chairman of the NUT in the FCT, Abdullahi Shafas, the secretary, Mrs. Margaret Jethro, and the publicity secretary, Ibukun Adekeye.
The SWSC also urged secondary school teachers to join the strike on January 22 if the demands of the primary school teachers were not met by January 19, 2024.
The union had embarked on indefinite strike action on September 11, 2023, to demand the implementation of a 40% peculiar allowance and the payment of 25-month minimum age arrears, among other arrears.
The NUT stated that despite suspending the strike for six weeks, which expired on November 7, 2023, “nothing positive has taken place,” adding that the SWSC had no choice but to order the resumption of the strike following the failure of the minister and the area council chairmen to attend to their demands.
The communique read in part, “We are concerned that a series of meetings have taken place, but the primary school tutors remain in a pathetic situation and continue to bear the brunt of the high cost of living attributable to the removal of fuel subsidies without succour from anywhere.
“Saddened by the suffering of the teachers and the unwillingness of the area council chairmen to pay the teachers these aforementioned entitlements, including the delay in the minister’s intervention, the State Wing Standing Committee in Session has no other option than to direct all primary school tutors in the FCT to resume the suspended strike to further press home her demands. The strike will take effect on Monday, January 15, 2024.
“The SWSC-on-Session equally resolved that if the outstanding demands of the primary school teachers are not paid before Friday, January 19, 2024, all secondary school teachers in FCT will join in solidarity with effect from Monday, January 22, 2024—an injury to one is an injury to all.”
Consequently, the union urged parents to keep their children in primary schools at home starting Monday.
