The FCT branch of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has instructed its members to begin a strike as of today, September 11, in protest at the non-payment of 25 months’ worth of arrears.
Also, they are criticizing the council chairmen for not implementing a 40% unique allowance.
According to City & Crime, the first academic quarter has begun in secondary and elementary schools in the FCT.
The union issued the instruction in a statement following an emergency State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) meeting that was conducted at Teachers’ House in Gwagwalada.
Margaret F. Jethro, secretary of the NUT, and Comrade Stephen Knabayi, state chairman, both signed the communiqué.
The communique added that the council chairmen had also failed to pay other outstanding allowances, which they said 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.
The chairman of Kwali Area Council, Danladi Chiya, who is also the FCT ALGON chairman, did not answer calls or respond to a text message sent to him on the strike.
