TEACHERS in public schools in Cross River State have begun an indefinite strike.
Public primary and secondary schools in the state were scheduled to resume on Monday after the long vacation, but thousands of excited students who trooped to their various schools were disappointed when they were told to return home by the striking teachers.

The teachers are demanding immediate payment of the Teachers’ Specific Allowance (TSA) and release of their promotions by the state government.
The striking teachers, who recalled that they suspended an earlier strike following the intervention of the state government, lamented that after an agreement was reached between the Cross River government and the state’s wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the government is yet to implement it.

The State Chairman of NUT, Eyo-Nsa Itam, disclosed that the state government entered into an agreement with the union to restore the TSA and release promotion of teachers.’
He explained that in the agreement jointly signed by the Commissioner for Finance, Commissioner for Education and the Special Adviser to the governor on Labour Matters, the government agreed to restore the allowances from July 2013.

Itam said based on the agreement, the union directed teachers in the state who were already on strike to return to work, but unfortunately the government has till date failed to implement the agreement.
The NUT chairman, who expressed regrets that all efforts by the union to compel government to respect the terms of the agreement have so far proved abortive, castigated the government for allegedly reneging in the pact it freely entered with the union.

“Having failed to respect the agreement reached with the union, the suspended strike of June 2013 is hereby resumed. Teachers of public primary and secondary schools are therefore expected to sit at home from Monday, 9th September 2013 when schools are to resume.”
Itam said the union will “resist further attempt by the state government to treat teachers as second class civil servants as it is only teachers that are ill-treated.”

All the public schools visited look deserted as the children are forced to stay at home.


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Dat sleeping governor,should listen to the plight of the teachers!

Lecturers on strike at the national level while the primary school teachers are having their own at the state level.

PDP is indeed the FRESH AIR!

The way this country treats education. I wonder if we'll ever bcom developd.