TEACHERS GO ON STRIKE IN DELTA

Primary and secondary school teachers in Delta State yesterday embarked on indefinite strike to protest government's alleged refusal to address their welfare issues. Academic activities in the schools were paralysed as the teachers stayed away from their schools.

The state wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) had on Tuesday declared a trade dispute with the state government over the issues. Already the strike is taking a biting hard in Asaba and environs, as most primary schools were deserted. Few pupils were only seen playing at Uzoigwe and Asagba primary schools. Some secondary schools did not comply with the strike on the excuse that they did not receive any directive to that effect.

They were, however, forced to close down by NUT officials monitoring the action. Some of the affected secondary schools were St. Brigid's Girls' Grammar School, Anglican Girls' Grammar School and Asagba (Mixed) Secondary School, all in Asaba. The Delta NUT Secretary, Mr Eddy Uloho, decried what he described as an attempt to sabotage the strike by some secondary schools. `

`We got wind of the action and quickly moved in to check it,'' he said. Uloho said everything had been put in place to ensure the effectiveness of the strike, which, according to him, will last until government addresses the issues in dispute.

The teachers claimed that their demands had been subject of dialogue with government since last year. They include non-implementation of incremental credits for primary school teachers since 2005. Others are non-release of 2007 promotions for the teachers and non-implementation of 2006 promotions of primary school teachers.

Other issues are the ceiling of salary grade level 14 for university graduate teachers in primary schools and the absence of a law backing the UBE programme in the state. The NUT is also against non-computerization of primary school teachers' salary in spite of government's approval of the exercise.