By Sadiq Abubakar, Abuja.
Teachers of primary and Secondary Schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) will be embarking on a five days warning strike tomorrow, over non – payment of their promotion arrears.
Addressing newsmen at the end of an emergency State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) meeting of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) at the teachers house in Gwagwalada, yesterday, Acting secretary of the NUT, Comrade Margareth I. Jethro, said the union resolved to embark on the strike due to non commitment and lack of political will by the six area councils chairmen to settle outstanding entitlements of LEA primary school teachers in the FCT.
She said despite various ultimatum issued to six area councils chairmen to settle the outstanding entitlements of the teachers, the council chairmen has refused to heed to the unions call to pay teachers entitlements, which she said included non implementation of 2019 and 2020 promotion in some LEAs.
According to her, the council chairmen has also refused to offset teachers promotion arrears from 2014 to 2018, non implementation of 2020 and 2021 annual increments and upgrading of qualifed teachers.
She also said the FCT adminstration has failed to pay 2016, 2017 and 2018 promotion arrears to the secondary school teachers in the FCT despite ultimatum issued to it.
“As having deliberated exhaustively, on the issues, at stake, the SWEC in session was saddened at the non commitment of the area council chairmen and the management of the FCT adminstration to the settlements of the FCT teachers outstanding entitlements and therefore resolved to embark on a five day warning strike with effect from Thursday, 18, November, 2021,” she said.
Jethro, said failure of the FCT administration and the six area councils chairmen to settle the outstanding entitlements of FCT teachers within five days period of the warning strike, the union will have no other option than to declare indefinite strike to press home their demands.
Read more FCT NUT Issues Ultimatum To FCT Area Councils Chairmen Over Unpaid Teachers Promotion Arrears
Reacting, the chairman of Gwagwalada area council, Alhaji Adamu Mustapha, who is also the FCT ALGON chairman, said it was unfortunate that despite the six area councils chairmen has held meeting with the union three times and resolved to see how it will commence payment of
arrears from 2019 to date, the union still insist on embarking on warning strike.
“And we have agreed within ourselves to start the payment immediately, as I personally communicated the state NUT chairman on phone, “,he said.
