Benue: Primary School Teachers Begin Strike Over Minimum Wage

Another indefinite strike started on Thursday in the country. Now it is about primary school teachers in Benue, who demand payment of the national minimum wage.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the state, Mr. Godwin Anya, told the journalists in Makurdi that teachers didn’t have any other choice but to start a strike.

Anya blamed the government for allegedly violating the agreement it sealed with the union for the beginning of payment in August.

He said that under the terms of the agreement, the government was to fully implement the minimum wage to all teachers.

Anya said contrary to the agreement, the government came up with a new chart, which showed that none of the teachers would benefit from full payment of the wage.

According to his words, the strike was called by the national body of the union, which ordered the state chapter not to suspend it until the government implements the demand.

The chairman added that the new chart released by the government would only benefit those below grade level 7.

However, reports say teachers in public secondary schools have already started receiving the new wage.

Some protesting children on Thurday turned to the state government urging it to pay the wage in order to avoid primary school system collapse in the state.