Bayelsa Teachers to go for indefinite strike over N30,000 minimum wage

By Hannah Nathan, Warri

In protest of the N30,000 minimum wage payment and promotion backlogs, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has threatened to start an indefinite strike in Bayelsa’s public elementary and secondary schools.

The union made the choice on October 12 during an executive meeting after a previous three-day warning strike failed to persuade the Bayelsa Government to take action.

Congress learnt that the state government and local councils had been given a 14-day deadline by the teachers to address the predicament of teachers throughout the state or face strike action.

The NUT lists the state and local governments’ incapacity to implement the N30,000 minimum salary and to promote primary school teachers in the state as two of its issues.

The organization claimed that because promotion arrears were not paid to the teachers, they went through unimaginable suffering.

The union expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s continued disregard for the predicament of teachers who play important roles in the state despite futile attempts to engage them in various fora.

The NUT added that the state’s primary and secondary school teachers had experienced nothing but embarrassment and frustration as a result of the government’s approach.

According to the union, the 14-day ultimatum went into effect on October 13 and that if the problems weren’t resolved within that time, state teachers would be forced to strike.

It was further gathered the strike notice was approved by all eight of the NUT’s local government sections in Bayelsa.

Chairmen of the LG branches of the union were among those who signed the communique ssued following the conference.

Dr. Gentle Emelah, the Bayelsa Commissioner for Education, did not answer calls or texts asking the administration to clarify the situation.

According to NAN, Bayelsa’s schools departed on August 29 due to a predicted flood and are scheduled to reopen on November 13.