Teachers of government primary and secondary schools across the 17 local government areas in Abia State have embarked on an indefinite strike as a result of none payment of 10 month salaries and none payment of the primary school teachers (TSS), Teachers’ Salary Structure (TSS).
A teacher in one of the State-owned primary schools in Aba, who pleaded not to be mentioned, disclosed the union decided to embark on the industrial action after attempts to persuade the state government to pay them failed.
Chairman of the State Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, confirmed that teachers have gone on strike, even as he also confirmed that the Governor, after a meeting with the leadership of Labour and NUT, directed that the sum of one billion naira should taken from the May Federation Allocation to pay some months of the accrued salary arrears.
“The leadership of NUT met on Friday to declare strike but in the meeting that Labour held with the governor and NUT on Sunday, we saw no need for the strike and they have been asked to play it down. Some teachers were paid for August last year; half of them were paid.
“But by Friday last week, N1, 050, 000, 000 (one billion, fifty million) was released to clear the other half for August and pay all of them September, October.
“So the government looked at it that if N1, 050, 000 was released for teachers’ salaries from May FAC, that a sacrifice has been made.
“A committee was set up to address other issues which they raised and government promised to be paying two months from June. So with that, the proposed strike seemed to have been collapsed.
“The kids went home on Monday but will come back to school on Thursday.
‘’The meeting held till 8:30 pm on Sunday and the outcome of the meeting would not have gone round, which was why the teachers didn’t come to school on Monday.”
