The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have embarked on an indefinite strike for Primary schools in FCT afrter a five- day warning strike from last week.
The NUT chairman, Comrade Stephen Knabayi, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after an Emergency State Wing Executive Council Meeting (SWEC) in Gwagwalada.
Knabayi, however said the secondary school teachers are to resume work Thursday, due to the outcome of the resolutions reached after the SWEC meeting.
According to him, refusal to heed the union’s call to pay teachers’ entitlements, which include non-implementation of 2019 and 2020 promotion arrears in some LEAs and and upgrading of qualified teachers had made the union to embark on industrial strike action.
“We have been on 5-day warning strike which we had to meet today to review the strike and had to get reports from various branches to take a decision.
“We had to look at the offer that was at hand through the words of the Minister that he will look into the matter and we resolved to proceed on an indefinite strike as it affects the primary school teachers across the six Area Councils.
“But that of secondary school teachers we stepped it down because of the commitment we have from the Minister of FCT and that is to give him an upportunity to have time with the Area Council chairmen to have further deliberation.
“My message to the teachers is that NUT is committed to the welfare and entitlements are provided and released to them for the development of education in FCT.
“While we appreciate the teachers support and compliance with the directives of the union we also request and appeal for their understanding as it was not easy to arrive at this decion,” he said.
He said the union resolved to embark on the strike due to non-commitment and lack of political will by the six Area Council Chairmen to settle outstanding entitlements of LEA primary school teachers in the FCT. (NAN)
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