Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory resumed work on Monday following the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The teachers had embarked on an indefinite strike on January 15.
They went on strike to press home demands for the implementation of 40 per cent Peculiar Allowance and payment of 25 months minimum wage arrears, amongst other arrears.
Also Read:
- Kenn Ayere’s Lifestyle Value Mall provides job opportunities for over 100 youths in Benin
- 2025 AFCON Qualifiers: Osimhen, Lookman score as Nigeria beat Benin Republic
- Buratai mourns Yar’Adua’s mother
- Why we are against using INEC officials from Imo, Kogi for Edo polls – Ighodalo
- FG implementing critical initiatives to train, equip police personnel – Tinubu
The Secretary of the FCT chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Margaret Jethro, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.
Jethro said that the strike, which was suspended with effect from today (Monday), followed the intervention of Wike to settle part of the minimum wage arrears owed the teachers.
She explained that Wike promised to settle 40 per cent of the over N7 billion minimum wage arrears, while the area councils would settle the remaining 60 per cent.
She said that the payment would begin from January and be completed by March.
“We have suspended strike with effect from today and teachers are already in class.
“Wike had promised that the deduction of the 40 per cent minimum wage arrears will begin this January and the area councils too will bring their own deductions for the three months.
“So, based on that, we are giving him the benefits of the doubt,” she said.
On the N8 billion 12-month Peculiar Allowance debt, Jethro said that the area councils had argued that primary school teachers were not entitled to it.
She added that the minister said he would write to the National Income and Wages Commission for clarification.
“The area council chairmen insisted that primary school teachers are not entitled to it, but the circular that came from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission says all staff on consolidated salary, and primary school teachers are on consolidated salary.
“So, the minister said he is going to make clarification himself and do the needful.
“We decided to take what he has given to us and give him time to make the clarification,” she said.
The official, however, said that if nothing was done, “we will take the next line of action.”
NAN reports that the teachers had on January 15 begun an indefinite strike.
The strike was a continuation of an earlier one suspended in 2023 over non-payment of 40 per cent Peculiar Allowance and 25 months minimum wage arrears, among other issues
The NUT suspended the strike on October 2, 2023, to allow for the resolution of the issues within six weeks which was not achieved.