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The Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU) has declared an indefinite nationwide strike beginning Monday, September 8, 2025, after a months-long standoff with the government over unpaid subsidies and other grievances.
The union, which includes its sub-associations CPSS, NaCOHT, CHTVI, and NSA, stated it has “no alternative but to lift its suspended strike notice” first issued on November 25, 2024. The SLTU noted that the issues it raised have not been resolved, forcing the union to take action to disrupt the reopening of schools.
The strike is intended to pressure the government to address several key demands:
Unpaid School Fees Subsidies: The union is demanding the immediate payment of second and third-term subsidies from the previous school year, as well as the first term of the 2025/2026 school year. It also seeks a new policy for prompt, termly payments.
Correction of Anomalies: The SLTU is calling for the rectification of non-payments and under-payments of subsidies to schools.
Subsidy Amount Review: Teachers are demanding a review of the current per-pupil subsidy amount to reflect the country’s economic and inflationary trends.
Teacher Resources: The union wants the government to resume the supply of teaching and learning materials, which it says have not been provided for the last three years.
Reinstatement of Teachers: The SLTU is demanding the reinstatement and payment of backlogged salaries for genuine teachers who were suspended from the payroll in July 2025.
Technical and Vocational Instructors: The union is pushing for the recruitment of more technical and vocational instructors to support the country’s human capital development goals.
In a statement, the SLTU said these issues are a “severe hindrance to effective teaching and learning” and that addressing them would support the government’s free quality education initiative. The union’s leadership, including President Ibrahim B. Kargbo and Secretary General Morris S. Conteh, signed the strike notice.
The SLTU is looking for a “prompt intervention” from the government to prevent a prolonged disruption to the new school year. The union stated it has sent prior correspondences to the government regarding these issues.
