PRIMARY school teachers in Gwagwalada and Abuja Municipal Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have suspended their three weeks strike over the non-payment of outstanding arrears of promotion and other benefits owed them since 2015.
The Chairman, National Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT, Comrade Stephen Knabayi, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Comrade Knabayi said teachers under the Gwagwalada area council suspended their strike after their union leaders meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday with the management of the council.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that primary school teachers in the six area councils in FCT had on January 26, 2022 embarked on an indefinite strike. The teachers were aggrieved over failure of the area councils to reach an agreement with the union over their outstanding entitlements.
Comrade Knabayi said that sequel to the resumption of industrial action earlier suspended on December 1, 2021, Gwagwalada Area Council and the union met on Tuesday and Wednesday. He said that at the meetings, agreement was reached on how the arrears would be paid.
“The meeting came up with templates on modalities for the payment of all outstanding arrears commencing from February, 2022. Consequent on the above, all LEA teachers comprising of NUT Gwagwalada and Zuba branches are by this directed to resume their normal duties with effect from February 10.
“We wish to commend the teaming teachers of Gwagwalada Area Council for their patience, resilience, cooperation, solidarity and support while the struggle lasted,” Comrade Knabayi said as he urged concerned teachers “to go about their normal duties without any fear of harassment.
NAN reports that the teachers in AMAC had also suspended their strike following an agreement with the area council management. The Chairman of AMAC, Mr Abdullahi Candido, who announced this at a media parley on Friday, said that the council had directed the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee of the FCT to deduct the teachers’ entitlements from the amount accruing to it. (NAN)
