Edo primary school teachers issue 14-day strike notice

Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers has issued a 14-day strike notice to the state government over alleged failure to meet its financial obligation and other entitlements.

The union had on December 8, 2020, gave the state government 21-day to fulfil its promises or its members would embark on an indefinite industrial action.

The communiqué for the 14-day strike notice, dated December 29, 2020, signed  by the state chairman, Pius Okhueleigbe and Assistant General Secretary, Moni Modesty,  and four others, was made available to newsmen in Benin on Wednesday.

In the communiqué, the union noted that the 14-day ultimatum which takes effect from Tuesday, 29 December 2020, was to enable the Edo State government meet its demands.

“We have observed that the state government has not taken any step aimed at meeting the demands of the union during the 21-day ultimatum. So we have issued a 14-day strike notice to the government over the alleged failure to meet its financial obligations,” the statement reads partly.

The union also restated that its call for removal of Mary Oseghale as the acting Education Secretary of the Esan North-East local government authority still stood, while declaring her persona non grata.

It urged the primary school teachers in the state to continue to mobilise for an indefinite strike action while awaiting further directives on take-off date.

The Edo State council of the Nigeria Labour Congress also gave its nod to the NUT’s proposed strike in a letter titled, ‘Re:Communique,’ dated, December 16, 2020 and signed by its acting secretary, Barry Imade.