PUNCH NEWS

The ongoing strike action embarked upon by the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Bayelsa State over neglect and poor working environment entered the third week.

Public primary and secondary schools have remained shut in the state since September 23 when schools resumed for the 2019/2020 academic session.

Among the grievances of the NUT are the non-payment of arrears of the N18,000 minimum wage to primary and secondary schools by the state government; non-implementation of incremental promotions and unpaid three and a half months’ salaries.

The teachers had celebrated a low-key World Teachers Day on October 5 with the theme, “Young Teachers: The future of the profession”.

The state chairman of NUT, Mr. Kalama Toinpre, had bemoaned the myriad of challenges facing the teaching profession in the state, saying that teachers were poorly motivated.

He further said that efforts by the union to ensure that teachers serving in rural areas earn “rural teachers allowance” had met a brick wall.

He, however, said the government had promised to address the grievances of teachers at the end of October.