Edo NUT insists on strike, A’Ibom NLC absolves govt of owing workers

• UNIBEN unveils volunteers club to curb community spread of COVID-19
Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), yesterday, directed all primary school teachers in the state to shun the February 1, 2021, resumption date proposed by the state government.

The union gave the directive in a statement issued by State Chairman, Pius Okhueleigbe and Assistant Secretary General, Moni Mike Modesty Itua in Benin City, insisting that the indefinite strike, which commenced on January 18, 2021, must continue.

The unions noted that the decision to continue the strike was because its leadership was convinced that it had earlier allowed the state government eight weeks to resolved its demands before the strike commenced.

It added that it was no longer disposed to requesting additional days from the state government.

It, however, unanimously agreed that dialogue and negotiation between the Edo State Government and the union should continue, while the strike went on.

IN Akwa Ibom, Chairman, of the state wing of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Sunny James, has declared that the state government was not owing workers.

He told The Guardian that the state only owed pension arrears before 2016, adding that gratuity are being owed from March March and that government was negotiating with labour on how the arrears would be settled.

State Chairman of NUT, Comrade Etim Ukpong, who supported James said the state government had paid teachers salaries up to date.

MEANWHILE, the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has organised a virtual orientation programme for the first batch of volunteers, who will serve in the newly established surveillance volunteers club of the institution.

Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Lilian Salami, noted said the initiative was borne out of the need to monitor and prevent the spread of COVID-19 among staff and students.

She added that the volunteers would enforce the safety regulations rather than resort to the use of force, stressing that civility should be their watchword.

The UNIBEN Surveillance Club comprises a Chief Marshal, 16 marshals and over 140 members, who would be deployed to serve in the two campuses of the university.