Union of Teachers (NUT) has threatened to commence an indefinite strike in public primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa State over the N30,000 minimum wage and promotion arrears.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the union took the decision at an executive meeting on 12 October, after an earlier three-day warning strike failed to compel the Bayelsa State government to address their grievances.
The teachers had given a 14-day ultimatum to the government and local councils to address the plights of teachers across the state or face industrial action.
The grievances, according to the NUT, include the inability of both state and local governments to implement the N30,000 minimum wage and effect the promotion of primary school teachers in the state.
The union said teachers were experiencing untold hardships due to the non-payment of promotion arrears to the teachers.
NUT expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s continuous negligence of the plight of teachers who played critical roles in the state, despite engaging them at different fora in futility.
The union said the attitude of the government had brought nothing but humiliation and frustration to primary and secondary school teachers in the state.
It said the 14-day ultimatum took effect on 13 October after failure to address the issues within the limit of the ultimatum would force teachers in the state to go on strike.
The strike notice was ratified by the NUT branches in the eight local government areas of the state.
Signatories to the communique after the meeting included the chairmen of local government area branches of the union.
Meanwhile, Gentle Emelah, Bayelsa Commissioner for Education, declined comments when contacted as he did not respond to telephone calls and messages requesting the government’s comments.
NAN reports that schools in Bayelsa State went on vacation on 29 August due to an expected flood and are slated to resume on 13 November.
(NAN)
