NUT declares indefinite strike in Niger State

Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Niger State Council, has embarked on industrial action over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage and better condition of service.

Niger NUT Chairman, Ibrahim Umar, the Principal Assistant Secretary-General, Labaran Garba; President, All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Public Schools (ANCOP) in Niger, Ahmed Jafaar and OPSHON Chairperson, Fatima Kutigi, stated in Minna yesterday that the strike followed the resolution by the State Working Committee of NUT on April 30, 2021.

The resolution was due to the state government’s inability to meet the union’s demands after it suspended the previous strike in February. The union’s demands include the immediate implementation of N30,000 minimum wage for Primary School Teachers, payment of primary school teachers’ October 2020 salaries and refund to all teachers of salary cut for April 2021.

“Attention of the union has also been drawn to the fact that 70 per cent will be paid to primary school teachers as salary for the month of April 2021. This development was, however, rejected by the union, as it will only accept 100 per cent salary payment,” the NUT stated.

The union maintained that teachers at all levels in the state had always been treated as second-class citizens, adding that the situation would not be allowed to continue.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Commissioner for Education, Hannatu Salihu, were unsuccessful.