Three days before the end of the first term examinations for primary school pupils in the Federal Capital Territory, their teachers have embarked on fresh strike action over non-compliance with the new minimum wage of ₦70,000 by the area councils of the territory.
Primary school pupils in the FCT have experienced a series of strike actions embarked upon by their teachers. The last one was on September 18, 14 days into this term’s resumption.
The strike was eventually called off on October 7, thereby forcing them to remain at home for about three weeks.
Pupils who went to school on Monday to continue with their first-term examinations were turned back home.
Reacting, the Chairman of the Nigeria Teacher Union (NUT) in the FCT, Kubwa chapter, Comrade Ameh Baba, said the action became necessary as, according to him, the area council chairmen in the territory have continued to owe them arrears.
“And now the ultimatum of the December 1st deadline given by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for any state to comply with the minimum wage of ₦70,000 has come into effect. Hence we don’t have any option but to comply,” he said.
Baba said the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had approved the recent minimum wage, with the November salary being billed for the first payment. He, however, stated that the UBEC teachers among them were yet to witness the gesture.
He warned that the primary school teachers in the FCT would continue with the present strike, adding that the councils still owed them the ₦40,000 peculiar allowance and ₦35,000 wage award for up to one year.
