The Nigeria Union of Teachers on Tuesday expressed readiness to return to class, the union, however, warned states government that it would declare dispute if they are indebted to workers up to four months’ salaries.
NUT further stated that teachers having stayed at home for five months because of COVID-19, would return to classes with precautions.
The Secretary-General of NUT, Mike Ene, stated this in an interview with the Punch.
Asked to respond to preparations for resumption after the expiration of the January 18 dateline by the Federal Government that schools should reopen, he said, “Yes, we will want to resume. Why not, if not? I don’t think anything will make us not resume. We are ready, but the places where we will not resume are in states where the government is owing workers, especially states where the government is owing four months to any set of workers, either primary and secondary schools. We have asked our teachers to stay at home in such states.”
“Besides that, we are very ready. Don’t forget that during COVID-19, we wasted about five months at home. So, I don’t think anything now will make us not to resume. Even though there is this second wave, as teachers, we have known how to take precautions.”
“As I speak, I cannot quote the states that are owing because we just started collecting the data, we have just written all the states to tell us the details about payment.”
“But we have declared a strike in Abia State and so our teachers in Abia State commenced strike on Monday.”
“Abia State is owing to several months salaries of between 12 and 15 months for both primary and secondary schools and other various things they are owing.”
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari-led government on Monday disclosed that it would review the January 18 earlier date scheduled for the resumption of schools across Nigeria.
The Federal Government attributed its decision to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the country.
