Primary school teachers under FCT area councils embark on strike

Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the authority of area council chairmen, have embarked on a fresh strike action over non-compliance with the new minimum wage of N70,000 by the area councils of the territory.

Following the development, three days before the conclusion of the first-term examination, pupils who went to school on Monday to continue with their first-term examination were turned back home.

Nigerian Tribune had reported that the last industrial action by the teachers was on September 18, 14 days into this term’s resumption, which was eventually called off on October 7, forcing them to remain at home for about three weeks, untill the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike intervened on behalf of the area council chairmen threatening to pay the striking teachers with the councils’ share of Internally Generated Revenue.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Teachers’ Union (NUT) in the FCT, Kubwa chapter, Comrade Ameh Baba, while reacting to the development, explained that the action became necessary as the area council chairmen in the territory have continued to owe them arrears.

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He further explained, “And now the ultimatum of December 1st deadline given by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for any state to comply with the minimum wage of N70,000 has come into effect. Hence, we don’t have any option but to comply.”

The chairman stated that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had approved the recent minimum wage, with the November salary being billed for the first payment.

Baba lamented that the UBEC teachers among them were yet to witness the gesture.

He assured that the primary school teachers in the FCT would continue with the present strike, lamenting that the councils still owed them the N40,000 peculiar allowance and N35,000 wage award for up to one year.

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