Public primary school teachers in Plateau State are yet to be included in the N18,000 national minimum wage structure, six years after the state began implementation of the structure for its workers.

The Chairman of Nigerian Union of Teachers in the state, Yarlings Gunshin, stated this on Wednesday in Jos, at an event to mark the World Teacher’s Day.

Speaking at the event at the state secretariat of the union, Mr. Gunshin also revealed that the teachers have not been paid annual salary increment for the past five years.

“It is disheartening that the teachers are yet to enjoy the 18,000.00 minimum wage, six years after its commencement. The teachers have also not been paid annual increment for the past five years.

“I am therefore calling on the state government to implement the minimum wage for primary school teachers, so that they can enjoy it along with their counterparts in secondary schools and the civil service who have been on the salary for more than five years now.”

Mr. Gunshin also accused a local government in the state of discriminating against public primary school teachers in its area.

“It is sad that the recurring problem of non-payment of salary to teachers due to shortfall in the allocation of Mangu Local Government Area has resurfaced. I wish to urge the state government to find a permanent solution to the problem.”

The union used the occasion to make a case for elongation of retirement age of primary school teachers.

According to the union chairman, this would allow the society to enjoy more service of experienced teachers.

“I want to remind the state government on the request of the union for the elongation of primary school teachers of service from 35 years of service to 40, or 60 years of age. This is to enable the teachers to bring their acquired experience to bear on the learning and upbringing of pupils.”

A cross section of teachers who spoke to ViewPointNigeria at the event lamented that they have not been treated fairly by successive administrations of the state.

They also decried the level of infrastructural decay in public primary schools across the state.

count | 169

Pay us N18,000 minimum wage, Plateau primary school teachers plead