By Olawale Lamina
Issues: Non-implementation/payment of the teachers’ 40 per cent peculiar allowance, as well as non-implementation/payment of 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increase for the teachers.
The Nigeria Union Teachers, NUT, (FCT Wing) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the six area council chairmen in the territory to ensure payment of the remaining 60 per cent of the 25 months’ national minimum wage arrears of primary school teachers.
The union, in a communique jointly signed by the state Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Tashas, and the Secretary, Comrade Margaret F. Jethro, vented their disappointment by the inability of council chairmen to pay the 60 per cent arrears after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had kept his own part of the bargain in paying 40 per cent of the arrears.
The teachers union equally expressed disappointment over the non-implementation and payment of the teachers’ 40 per cent peculiar allowance, as well as non-implementation/payment of 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increase for the teachers.
Also, the NUT sought the determination of the fate of the teachers regarding the implementation of the N70,000 new minimum wage that was signed into law by the federal government.
“The SWEC-In Session also noted concern the disparity in salaries of primary school teachers in the FCT and other workers in the FCT which is due to non-implementation of items 1 to 3 above despite the clarification by the office of the National Incomes, Salaries And Wages Commission (NISWC) on the eligibility of the FCT primary school teachers to enjoy same.
“It is on this premise that the SWEC has resolved to issue a 14-day ultimatum from Monday, September 2, 2024, to Sunday, September 15, 2024, to the six area council chairmen to settle the aforementioned entitlements of the primary school teachers. And failure to respond positively to the above stated demands within the stipulated time, the union will have no other option than to resume the suspended strike action,” the communique stated.
So far, no response had come from any of the council chairmen, including that of the Kwali Area Council, Danladi Chiya, who is currently the FCT ALGON chairman.
It is believed that if the NUT ultimatum expires without resolution of the demands put forward, the new academic calendar could suffer avoidable setbacks.
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