Teachers want to retire at 65 in Plateau
Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Plateau State branch, Comrade Gunshin Yarlings has called on Governor Simon Lalong to settle the four months teachers’ salaries withheld by the previous administration’s policy of ‘no work no pay’ in 2012 and extend their retirement age to 65 from 60 years.
Yarlings said during the World Teachers Day celebrations in Jos on Monday that “We are urging the governor to extend funds to the teachers and the local government staff for the payment of outstanding four months salaries of June to September2012 which the former government refused to pay over her unjustifiable labour law of ‘no work no pay’”.
Yarlings called on the state to extend the N18, 000 minimum wage to teachers and halt wrongful disengagement of teachers. He said the number of years of creditable service should be 40 from 35 while retirement age should be 65 years.
“The NUT is agitating for the extension of service year and retirement age of teachers to 40 years of service and retirement age of 65.”
In his
remark,
Governor Lalong said effort was being made to tackle all challenges facing the teachers. “You are aware of the bailout funds received and substantial parts of all the statutory allocation of the state have been applied towards the payments of outstanding arrears up to June 2015.”
Also, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Ebonyi State chapter, Comrade Nweke Joseph, has called on Governor Dave Umahi to pay the outstanding teachers annual leave allowances for 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Comrade Joseph made the appeal at the occasion to mark the World Teachers Day held at the Township Stadium, Abakaliki. He said the discrepancies that characterize the payment of teachers’ salaries and nonpayment of leave allowance between 2013 and 2015 slowed down the provision of effective education in the state.
“Discrepancy and irregularity that characterize the payment of salaries is an ill wind as it undermines your efforts in the realization of the state government’s policy on education,” he said.
Other challenges he stressed include non-implementation of the 27.5 per cent enhancement allowance.