The Abia State government has taken steps to prevent a teachers’ strike by initiating talks with the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT.
The NUT had served the state government a notice of strike over issues including non-implementation of the Teachers Salary Structure and retirement of teachers before the approved age of 65.
The Abia State Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, said the government is taking the complaints seriously and the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education is already meeting with the NUT leadership.
Kanu attributed the unrest to misinformation and politicization by opposition elements in the state.
The government has increased the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years and introduced incentives to encourage teachers who left the profession to return to the classroom.
Abia teachers currently receive a minimum wage of N70,000, and the government is working to address the salary disparities between primary and junior secondary school teachers.