Osun teachers commence strike

Osun teachers commence strike

Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Osun State chapter, yesterday
said its members in primary and secondary schools have
commenced a three-day warning strike to protest nonpayment
of running and examination grants to secondary schools for an
academic session.

It will be recalled that the union had about two weeks ago
handed down a 14-day ultimatum to the state government to
pay the allowances owed its members or risk industrial unrest.

The union in a statement issued in Osogbo by the Principal
Secretary, NUT, Osun State wing, Comrade Muhammed
Abdulahi, listed the grievances of the union as; non-provision
of instructional materials like chalks, school registers and
textbooks, nonpayment of leave grants to secondary school
teachers since December 2013, and nonpayment of
examination grants to primary schools for the past six terms.

The statement said lack of basic needs by schools across the
state has hindered “effective performance of teachers in the
classroom,” adding that principals and head-teachers have
been running the schools with their salaries.

The NUT also advised members not to panic but to remain
calm and lawabiding as they await further directive on
expiration of the warning strike.

While calling on government to urgently look into their
demands to avert indefinite strike that could mar its education
agenda in the state, it explained that NUT had been
considerate in its approach to the matter.

When contacted for reaction, the Permanent Secretary, state
Ministry of Education, Mr Lawrence Oyeniran, called on
teachers to remain calm, assuring that the government would
do its best within the limited resources to meet their demands.
He attributed the crisis to the dwindling allocation from federal
government.