In a significant development, primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decided to resume their strike, advising parents and guardians to keep their children at home from the upcoming Monday. The decision comes after an emergency meeting of the FCT Wing Standing Committee (SWSC) of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) held in Abuja on Friday.
The primary school teachers had initiated an indefinite strike on September 11, 2023, citing issues such as the non-implementation of the 40% Peculiar Allowance and the payment of 25 months minimum wage arrears. The NUT suspended the strike on October 2, 2023, for a six-week period, allowing time for the resolution of the concerns, following the intervention of FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike.
Despite the establishment of a six-man committee by Wike to investigate and recommend solutions, the teachers expressed dissatisfaction that the six-week period had lapsed since November 2023, with no positive outcomes. The SWSC issued a communique signed by Chairman Mr. Abdullahi Shafas, Ms. Margaret Jethro, and Secretary Mr. Ibukun Adekeye, directing all FCT primary school teachers to resume the suspended strike from Monday, January 15, until further notice.
The union urged parents to keep their children and wards in primary schools safe at home. Additionally, the NUT warned that secondary school teachers in the FCT would also join the strike from January 22 if the demands of the primary school teachers were not addressed before January 19, 2024.
Stay tuned to Educator Hub News for updates on the ongoing strike and its impact on the education sector in the FCT.
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