The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Cross River has said it will not join the ongoing Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) strike in the state.

The state NUT Chairman, Mr. Eyo Nsa-Etim, made this known at a symposium it organised in collaboration with Bloom Consulting in Calabar on Friday.

Nsa-Etim, who is also the state’s NLC Vice-Chairman, said that NUT was not invited for the meeting where civil servants were directed to go on strike by NLC and TUC on October 2.

He said: “The state government is trying to solve labour problems in the state. We believe that the state government ought to have been given a little time to respond to the issues raised by NLC and TUC.

“Also for now, we are totally not involved in the strike. We have some programmes at hand and if we join them in the strike now, we cannot celebrate the World Teachers’ Day coming up on October 5.

“We may join along the way, but I think the present government is still new and deserves some time to put things in order.

“Their reasons for the strike are that government had failed to pay promotion arrears, no promotion of civil servants, non-release of deductions from salaries, non-funding of ministries, department and agencies, among others.”

The NUT chairman said organised labour took the action to embark on strike without informing the state’s NUT.

“We cannot take part in what we did not originate. NLC and TUC should have given the government a little time before embarking on strike,” he stated.

According to him, the arrears being demanded are incurred by the previous administration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the symposium was organised to celebrate teachers for their role in moulding the character and development of children. (NAN)