Primary school teachers in Abuja resumed work on Monday following the intervention of the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

The teachers embarked on an indefinite strike to press home demands for implementing a 40 per cent peculiar allowance and the payment of 25 months of minimum wage arrears, amongst other arrears.

The secretary of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) FCT chapter, Margaret Jethro, made this known in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Monday.

Ms Jethro said the strike, suspended with effect from Monday, followed the intervention of Mr Wike to settle part of the minimum wage arrears owed the teachers.

She explained that Mr Wike promised to settle 40 per cent of the over N7 billion minimum wage arrears while the area councils would settle the remaining 60 per cent.

“We have suspended the strike with effect from today, and teachers are already in class.

“Mr Wike had promised that the deduction of the 40 per cent minimum wage arrears would begin this January, and the area councils, too, will bring their own deductions for the next three months.

“So, based on that, we are giving him the benefit of the doubt,” she said.

On the N8 billion 12-month peculiar allowance debt, Ms Jethro said the area councils had argued that primary school teachers were not entitled to it.

She added that the minister said he would write to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission for clarification.

“We decided to take what he has given us and give him time to make the clarification,” she said.

The official, however, said that if nothing is done, “We will take the next line of action.”

The teachers began an indefinite strike on January 15.

The strike was a continuation of an earlier one suspended in 2023 over non-payment of 40 per cent peculiar allowance and 25 months minimum wage arrears, among other issues.

The NUT suspended the strike on October 2, 2023, to allow for the resolution of the issues within six weeks, which was not achieved.

(NAN)