Minimum wage: Primary teachers shut schools in Enugu

An industrial action declared by the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has paralysed activities in public primary schools in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the union ordered the indefinite strike with effect from May 9, in a circular: No. 001/05/2022, signed by the state Chairman, […]

An industrial action declared by the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has paralysed activities in public primary schools in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the union ordered the indefinite strike with effect from May 9, in a circular: No. 001/05/2022, signed by the state Chairman, Theophilus Nweke, and Secretary, Macs Nnaji.

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The action is to protest against the state government’s refusal to implement the N30,000 minimum wage in primary schools.

A NAN correspondent who monitored the strike, which was in its third day, reports that there is total compliance by the teachers as all the public primary schools visited in Enugu metropolis were under lock and key.

In a reaction, the Commissioner for Education, Prof Uche Eze, said the state government had already begun the process of implementing the new wage for the primary school teachers.

The commissioner said he could not understand why the teachers became impatient and embarked on the strike.

It would be recalled that the state government started paying the minimum wage in February, 2020.

However, only workers in the core government ministries and secondary schools were paid.

Their counterparts in government parastatals and primary schools were left out.