By Rose Aba Akafo
The Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU) has officially called off its strike, paving the way for schools across the country to resume normal operations on Monday.
The strike, which lasted a whole week, caused major disruption to the resumption of school nationwide. Teachers had downed tools over unpaid school fee subsidies and the suspension of thousands of teachers from the government payroll, among other issues.
After a week of tense negotiations with the government, the SLTU acknowledged that considerable progress had been made. In its statement, the union affirmed that most schools have now received their second and third-term subsidies for the 2024/2025 academic year, with outstanding payments to be reported directly to SLTU district offices.
The union also revealed that 1,802 of the 4,662 teachers previously removed from the payroll have been reinstated, with many already paid for July and August, with about 325 of them expected to receive their salaries this month, while a verification exercise continues for other affected teachers.
To address the wider grievances, a high-level joint committee has been set up under the vice president’s office, bringing together the ministries of education and finance, Teaching Service Commission and the SLTU. This committee is tasked with monitoring payments, resolving outstanding payroll disputes, and ensuring timely delivery of subsidies.
SLTU praised its members for their solidarity during the standoff, while acknowledging the role played by the Sierra Leone Labour Congress and the Ministry Labour in brokering the truce.
As schools resume today, attention now shifts to how swiftly the government can meet the remaining commitments and prevent further disruption to the academic calendar.
