Teachers in public primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory have abruptly stopped first term examinations with just three days to round off as they begin a strike over the non-implementation of the new N70,000 minimum wage.
Pupils who went to school on Monday to continue with their first term examination were turned back home.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Teacher Union (NUT) in the FCT, Kubwa chapter, Comrade Ameh Baba said the strike was necessary, adding that the area council chairmen in the territory have continued to owe them arrears.
The union leaders said with “the ultimatum of December 1st deadline given by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for any state to comply with the minimum wage of N70,000 has come to effect, hence we don’t have any option, but to comply,” he said.
Baba said the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike had approved the recent minimum wage, with the November salary being billed for the first payment.
He, however, said the UBEC teachers were yet to be captured.
Baba warned that the primary school teachers in the FCT would go on with the present strike, adding that the councils still owed them the N40,00 peculiar allowance, and N35,000 wage award of up to one year.
Primary school pupils in the FCT have experienced a series of strike action embarked upon by their teachers. The last one was on September 18, 14 days into this term’s resumption.
The strike was eventually called off on October 7, thereby forcing them to remain at home for about three weeks.
