Concerned Teachers Threaten Strike Again

The Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), is threatening a nationwide industrial action if the government fails to pay teachers’ salary arrears by close of March 2018.

The arrears according to the coalition, dates back to 2013.

The President of CCT, King Ali Awudu, at a press conference on Monday said the government has failed to honor pledges to pay the monies on two occasions.

He said the Union will therefore strike from April 2018 if the Ministry of Finance, thus the government, does not pay the arrears.

Ali Awudu said the Ministry of Finance had signed an agreement with the group earlier this year pledging to complete validation of all documents and paying the arrears accordingly.

He however noted that, their efforts to reach the Ministry to ascertain the progress so far, have proven futile.

“We cannot any longer hold the wrath of teachers if at the end of March 2018, the arrears are not paid. The Ministry of Finance should brace itself for an industrial unrest if the March 2018 agreement is not fulfilled. An industrial action is therefore imminent unless otherwise averted by obeying the agreement dated January 16, 2018,” he said at the press conference.

The group had considered a legal action against the government over the matter, but backed down after the government indicated that it was taking steps to pay the arrears.

More than 60,000 teachers are expected to be paid the arrears.