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A’Ibom teachers embark on indefinite strike over unpaid salaries, poor welfare packages
In a notice to the government on the strike action which commenced on Tuesday, the NUT said the industrial action would involve all public primary and secondary schools in the state which was meant to also “press home their demands for the payment of eight years leave grant and six years of promotion arrears.”
Part of the memo mandating teachers in the state to down tools, which was sent to all school heads and signed by the Union’s Secretary, Victor Amirize, reads:
“The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) hereby orders all primary and secondary schools teachers in public schools to proceed on an indefinite strike action.
“The government could not address the demands of the teachers after 21 working days and subsequent seven days ultimatum given by the union to the government.
“The government’s promise of payment of one year leave grant on compassionate ground and completion of payment of one month minimum wage arrears to primary schools teachers could not be actualised,” the NUT noted.
According to the body, the teachers in the state are demanding, among other things, the payment of their leave grants from 2013 to 2021, payment of promotion arrears for six years, from 2011 to 2016 to primary schools teachers and the release of their 2017 and 2018 promotion exercise conducted by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
The union also demanded the refund of 7 ½ per cent contributory pension to primary school teachers and appointment of teachers as permanent secretaries among others.
