Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU) has suspended its nationwide strike, calling on teachers to return to classrooms on Monday, September 15, bringing an end to almost a week of industrial action.
The strike, which began on September 8, was launched over long-standing grievances, including delayed payment of school fee subsidies and the suspension of thousands of teachers from the government payroll.
Following a series of negotiations chaired by the Vice President, the government committed to several measures. These include the disbursement of second and third-term subsidies for the 2024/2025 academic year to most schools, with unpaid or underpaid institutions instructed to report discrepancies to their district union offices.
On payroll issues, SLTU reported that 1,802 of the 4,662 suspended teachers have now received salaries for July and August. An additional 325 are expected to be paid in September, including backlogs, while verification continues for those yet to be reinstated.
A joint committee has been set up under the coordination of the Vice President, bringing together the Ministries of Education and Finance, the Teaching Service Commission, and SLTU. The committee is tasked with addressing all outstanding matters.
After an emergency consultative meeting on Friday, SLTU President Ibrahim B. Kargbo confirmed the suspension of the strike and stressed that the union will keep monitoring government commitments to guarantee the reinstatement and full payment of all legitimate teachers.
The union thanked its members for their solidarity and acknowledged support from the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security, the Sierra Leone Labour Congress, and other allied organisations during the strike.
With schools set to reopen, SLTU encouraged teachers to resume their duties with renewed commitment while keeping a close watch on the government’s implementation of promises.
