SLTU Suspends Strike, Urges Teachers to Resume Classes on Monday 15th September

The Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU) has announced the suspension of its nationwide strike action, calling on teachers across the country to return to classrooms effective Monday, September 15, 2025.

The decision followed a series of high-level engagements involving the Vice President, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, the Teaching Service Commission, and other stakeholders aimed at addressing concerns raised by the union.

According to the SLTU, government has confirmed that subsidies for the second and third terms of the 2024/2025 academic year have been disbursed to the majority of schools, while institutions that did not receive full payments are required to urgently report to district union representatives for verification.

On the issue of payroll suspensions, the union disclosed that 1,802 of the 4,662 teachers removed from the payroll had received July and August salaries, with an additional 325 expected to be paid in September, including arrears. Verification is ongoing for those who were not captured during the initial process.

A joint committee, coordinated by the Office of the Vice President and comprising the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Ministry of Finance, the Teaching Service Commission, and the SLTU, has been established to address all outstanding matters.

In a resolution adopted after an emergency consultative meeting on Friday, September 12, the SLTU and its sub-associations – including the Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS), the National Council of Head Teachers (NaCOHT), the Council of Heads of Technical and Vocational Institutions (CHTVI), and the Nursery Schools Association (NSA) – encouraged teachers to resume their duties while the union continues to monitor the implementation of agreed measures.

The SLTU expressed gratitude to its members for their solidarity during the industrial action, as well as to the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security, the Sierra Leone Labour Congress, and other organisations for their support.

Meanwhile, the union has urged teachers to remain committed to delivering quality education as the monitoring of payments and payroll regularisation continues.