Abia state primary and secondary school teachers have joined the long list of school workers who have embarked on industrial action over non-implementation of working agreements by the government. Some Abia state teachers who spoke to newsmen on condition of anonymity said they are being owed a total of 13-months' salaries which was accumulated from 2019 till date.
The teachers who commenced the strike action on Monday, January 18 said the directives came from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) headquarters, and can only be shelved if the the Abia state chairman of the NUT comes up with a press release, backed by the headquarters.
This comes after the National leadership of the NUT in a letter dated December 2nd, 2020, gave the Abia State Government, 21 days ultimatum to clear the salary arrears of its members, among other demands, or risk indefinite closure of schools through strike.
In response to the claims made by teachers on owed salaries, the state commissioner for information Chief John Okiyi Kalu, in a radio program, argued that both primary, junior and senior secondary schools are not being owed same number of months.
Kalu said junior secondary school teachers are being owed one month outstanding, while senior secondary school teachers are being owed about nine months, and appealed to the teachers to return to classrooms stating that their case was genuine.
