FCT teachers’ unpaid salary arrears: NUT Chairman gives fresh update on indefinite strike

Federal Capital Territory primary and secondary school teachers have insisted that nothing will avert an indefinite strike if their demands are not met by Thursday.

Mr Stephen Knabayi, the FCT Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the end of an emergency meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

Recall that the FCT chapter of the NUT commenced a five-day warning strike on November 18 over the non-payment of their promotion salary arrears, lack of teachers’ upgrade and insecurity, among others.

Knabayi said the demands of the teachers are in two folds, adding that teachers under the FCT Administration and those under the area councils are affected.

Nabayi said although the union has received a commitment from the FCT Minister, Bello Mohammed, on the matter, it continued with the warning strike due to non-commitment from chairmen of the FCT area councils.

“The strike is ongoing. It is a five-day warning strike, which is expected to come to an end on November 24.

“We are dealing with two tiers of government in this matter, the State and area councils.

“As I speak with you now, we have no issues any longer with FCTA, because of the commitment we have received from the Minister of FCT.

“However, we do not have any commitment from the area councils as we speak.

“That is why the strike is still ongoing,” he said.

The NUT chairman urged the area council chairmen to take advantage of the window for the warning strike to dialogue with the union.

He said failure to do that would mean a call for the strike to continue.

“We are hoping that tomorrow they will still take advantage of the available window to dialogue with us with the aim of resolving it.

“If not, we are expected to meet tomorrow at our level to take the strike to the next level,” he said.