The Chairman of the FCT wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Stephen Knabayi, has directed primary school teachers in the territory not to resume classes anytime schools are reopened for academic activities.
Comrade Knabayi made the call while speaking with newsmen shortly after an emergency of the State Wing Executive Council Meeting (SWEC) of the union at the Teachers House in Gwagwalada, on Saturday.
He said the union’s decision to direct the primary school to stay away from classes followed failure of the area council chairmen to pay minimum wage of the teachers.
He said the FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, has paid the new minimum wage so the council area council chairmen should emulate him.
He noted that the union after emerging from last week’s meeting with the FCT Minister of State, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu and the six area council chairmen as well as other stakeholders, a resolution on the payment of the primary school teachers minimum wage was not arrived at, hence the decision of the teachers to embark on strike when schools reopen.
“We have seen that the area council chairmen are not serious and not committed to the welfare of the teachers. Since FCT administration did not waste time in paying the minimum wage, we expected the area council chairmen to have taken a cue from there and done same,” he added.
He further said despite the union’s call on the six area council chairmen to pay the new minimum wage of the primary school teachers, which he said has been lingering for over 17 months, they have failed to do so.
He said secondary school teachers would in solidarity, join the primary school teachers on strike.
