Olusegun Ariyo
The Federal Capital Territory chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, has suspended its three-week strike following the intervention of the FCTA Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The union announced the suspension in a communiqué signed by Abdullahi Shafa, Mrs Margaret Jetro and Ibukun Adekeye, chairman, secretary and publicity secretary, respectively.
In the communiqué, issued in Abuja on Monday, after an emergency meeting of the State Wing Executive Council, the union directed the striking teachers to resume work on October 8.
DAILY POST recalls that primary school teachers had on September 18 downed tools over unresolved welfare issues, including peculiar allowance, minimum wage arrears, and non-implementation of upward salary review.
The strike is a continuation of earlier ones suspended by the union in October 2023 and January 2024.
The union explained that the three-week-old strike was suspended following Wike’s intervention and payment of 40 per cent of the 25-month 2019 minimum wage arrears.
The teachers added that the minister’s renewed commitment towards settling the remaining 60 per cent was also laudable.
The union particularly commended the minister for directing the FCT Treasury to immediately use the FCT 10 per cent internally generated revenue accruals to the area councils to pay the 60 per cent.
This, the teachers said, became necessary following the failure of the councils’ chairmen to settle the 60 per cent minimum wage arrears as agreed during previous meetings convened by the minister to resolve the lingering issue.
“Given the foregoing and the appeal of the minister for the suspension of the strike action, the SWEC in session considered the consistent and positive intervention of the minister.
“Following his renewed commitment to look into other demands of the teachers one after the other, the SWEC has resolved to suspend the ongoing strike by primary school teachers across the FCT with immediate effect.
“The SWEC in session hereby appealed to all primary school teachers in FCT to, with effect from Tuesday, October 8, 2024, return to the classrooms and continue with their legitimate duties.
“The Union will continue to intensify more effort in ensuring the settlement of all the outstanding entitlements and the improvement of teachers’ welfare,” NUT stated.
