The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Teachers’ strike

  • Put an end to teachers’ strike

    Put an end to teachers’ strike

    Primary school teachers in Benue State have been on strike for six months. They are not happy that Governor Gabriel Suswam is denying them the enjoyment of the minimum wage package.

    This is a serious issue because it concerns the education of children who are the hope of the state in terms of development.

    The government should put an end to the strike by giving the teachers what they want. The package is their right, and it should be given to them.

    Our children need education. They should not be turned into hawkers. The governor must send them back to classrooms.

    Ejeh Victor O.,

    Benue State.

  • Teachers’ strike called off in four states

    Additional four states have agreed to implement the Teachers Salary Structure (TSS), 12 days into an indefinite strike by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT).

    The teachers are protesting the non implementation of the salary structure.

    They were also fighting the non implementation of the N18, 000 national minimum wage by the governments of the states.

    The NUT President, Mr. Michael Alogba-Olukoya, made this known in a telephone chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

    Alogba-Olukoya said that Cross River, Ebonyi, Borno and Niger State governments had agreed to meet the teachers’ demands.

    He said the body had called off strike in those states but would continue the action in the remaining states until they complied.

    He listed the remaining states as Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Kogi, Zamfara, Sokoto and Benue.

    NAN reports that the NUT began the strike on June 1 in the 11 states.

     

  • Strike: NUT gives Ebonyi two- week ultimatum

    The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) on Wednesday gave Ebonyi State government two weeks ultimatum to arrive at a satisfactory agreement with the union or it will join the strike action called by its national leadership.

    The threat is part of decisions reached at the end of an emergency meeting of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) of the union.

    According to a communiqué issued at the end of the emergency meeting, the union wondered why the state government suddenly stopped the payment of the 27.5 percent Teachers’ Special Allowance in November 2011 after it had paid it for some months.

    It applauded the on-going negotiation between the state government and the leadership of the union on how to commence the payment and ensure the sustenance of existing industrial harmony in the state.

    The union further urged the state government to consider restoring the payment to avoid industrial action which has already commenced in similar states where the special allowances are not being paid.

    “However, in consultation with the national head office of the union, we resolved that the ongoing-strike action in non compliant states be put on hold, for the time being in Ebonyi State, pending the outcome of the negotiations.

    “Accordingly, the union gave a two-week grace for the state government and NUT leadership in the State to conclude the negotiation, otherwise, teachers in the state would be left with no other alternative but to join the sit at home strike action, “the communiqué read.

     

  • Teachers’ strike: NUT officials, students clash in Benue

    Teachers’ strike: NUT officials, students clash in Benue

    There was a bloody clash between pupils sitting for Basic Education Certificate Examination and officials of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) monitoring team in Makurdi and Vande- Ikya local government areas of Benue State on Tuesday.

    The NUT officials stormed some primary schools in the state and insisted that the examination must be stopped in total compliance with directives from the NUT head quarters in the on -going primary school teachers’ strike.

    However, pupils who were in the examination halls in Makurdi and Vandeikya reacted violently and chased away NUT officials with sticks and stones.

    Primary school teachers in Benue State like their counterparts in 11 states of the federation are embarking on indefinite strike to press home their demand for the implementation 27 .5 teachers’ allowance.

    Governor Gabriel Suswam is insisting that before teachers in the state would enjoy the minimum wage, his administration would know the exact numbers of the teachers on its pay roll through a comprehensive teachers’ audit.

     

  • NUT insists on strike

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers has reaffirmed its decision to proceed on an indefinite strike from June 1 in the states that are yet to implement the 27.5 per cent Teachers Enhanced Allowance.

    NUT National President, Michael Olukoya, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja that the union had resolved that the strike would proceed if nothing was done at the expiration of its deadline.

    According to him, the states are – Benue, Cross River, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Ekiti, and Osun.

    Others are Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba, Borno, Kogi, Niger and Sokoto states.

    Olukoya said the decision to embark on an indefinite strike was taken on April 17 at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Asaba.

    He said that the Senate Committee on Education had on May 23, invited the union officials and the governors whose states were yet to implement the allowance to a meeting over the threat by the union.

    He said the meeting with the Senate Committee on Education was stalled, adding that the committee had called on the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, to plead with the affected state governors to comply.

    “Also, some of the state governors are yet to implement the N18, 000 minimum wage, which was approved by the Federal Government.

    “For us in the NUT, the strike is the only remaining option left for us now. We have been very patient since 2008,’’ he said.