Teacher's union issues strike threat to 19 state Governors

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has given a 30-day ultimatum to 19 state governors to pay its workers salary arrears or face an indefinite action strike from the union.

The ultimatum was announced yesterday, June 14, 2017, by the union's National Executive Council (NEC) headed by ComradeMichael Alogba Olukoya.

Speaking after the council's meeting in Ibadan, Olukoya listed the 19 states that were included in the ultimatum.

He read, "Benue (10 months); Ekiti and Cross River (six months each); Kogi (15 months with half salary being paid since 2013); Ondo (five months), Taraba (four months); Niger (three months), Delta (three months), and Oyo (three months owed primary and secondary school teachers).

"Abia (five months); Osun (paying teachers half salary for 23 months); Nasarawa (paying half salary for 18 months to primary school teachers); Plateau (half salary since 2010); Adamawa (four months) and Bayelsa (eight and half months).

"Imo (paying 70 per cent monthly salary to primary and secondary school teachers); Kwara (paying by percentage and owing four months) as well as Borno and Zamfara (both yet to implement national minimum wage)."

Stating that failure to obey the ultimatum by its expiration date will be met with an indefinite action strike, Olukoya said, "We hereby give a 30-day ultimatum to all the above mentioned states to pay all the outstanding salaries being owed the teachers.

"They will soon collect another Paris Club money and so we hope they will pay all the backlog of salary arrears.

"If any state fails to pay up within this stipulated time, we shall converge again and give a notice of action. There is going to be total disconnect between us and such governments.

"The NEC also kicked against the call for autonomy of local government councils."