The Bayelsa State Council of the Nigeria Union Of Teachers (NUT), has threatened to embark on strike and shut down schools across the eight local government councils of the state if the N30,000 minimum wage is not implemented for primary school teachers.
The teachers’ body in a statement on Tuesday signed by Comrade Clinton Ikiba; Chairman NUT Yenagoa, Ekereke Aruaman; Chairman NUT Ogbia, Okada Imomotimi; Chairman NUT Sagbama, Dokubo Innocent; Chairman NUT Brass, Amakiri Idubie; Chairman NUT Nembe, Ebikabina Taribina; Chairman NUT Kolokuma Okpukuma, Koko Opuro Michael; Chairman NUT Ekeremor; and Sudowei Stephen Solomon, Chairman NUT Southern Ijaw, expressed displeasure over the inability of the state and local government councils to implement the N30,000 minimum wage for primary school teachers in the state.
The union said the ugly trend has brought a lot of setbacks and untold hardship to primary school teachers in the state, as other workers have been receiving the N30,000 minimum wage since three years ago, while that of primary school teachers is yet to be implemented.
According to them, for the crucial role of teachers, their welfare should not be compromised or sacrificed on the altar of neglect and abandonment, because teachers are the determinant of development in society.
The union called on the state government to take proactive and serious measures against the unacceptable injustice meted on teachers and restore them to their statutory salary steps to curtail more problems in the system.
They appealed to the state government to implement the harmonize upward review of the retirement age of primary and secondary school teachers from 60 to 65 years and service, from 35 to 40 years as already implemented by the federal and some states in the federation.
The union equally appeal to the state government for the upward review of headmasters’ imprest, pointing out the enormous responsibilities in the schools, especially as the Bayelsa PRIME has taken over the school system.
They also solicited the employment of more teachers in both primary and secondary schools in the state to address the issue of inadequate classroom teachers for effective teaching and learning in the schools.
