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Tag: NUT

  • Abia NUT resumes strike over TSS

    Abia NUT resumes strike over TSS

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Abia State has resumed strike over Teachers Salary Structure (TSS).

    Public schools in the state are yet to reopen for the second term.

    The schools were billed to reopen on January 6. The teachers resumed what they described as their suspended May 2013 strike.

    The Nation learnt from an NUT official, who spoke on condition of anonymity that they resumed the strike to make the government pay the TSS.

    He said they were demanding the inclusion of secondary school teachers in the minimum wage of N21, 000 and the payment of arrears of leave allowances.

    NUT officials alleged that government agreed to pay the TSS from January last year, but reneged.

  • NUT issues 21-day ultimatum in Delta

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Delta State chapter, has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Delta State government over its refusal to address issues bordering on teachers’ welfare.

    According to a communiqué issued yesterday in Asaba, the state chairman of the union, Jemiriegbe Jonathan, expressed dismay at the non-release of outstanding promotion to eligible teachers (primary and secondary) since 2011.

    Another sore point for the teachers is the non-payment of the consolidated arrears to primary school teachers, stressing that as today, teachers are the only group of civil servants not paid.

    It expressed dissatisfaction with partial payment of 27.5 per cent Teachers Peculiar Allowance (TPA) arrears to primary school teachers.

    The teachers’ union is also miffed at the inadequate provision of instructional materials/school records in schools.

    The communiqué frowned at the non-payment of promotion arrears to primary school teacher, whose names were omitted in the verified list during general payment.

  • NUT’s threat

    NUT’s threat

    The threat by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to withdraw services and shut down schools nationwide if the National Assembly carries out its plan to cede responsibility for payment of primary school teachers’ salary to local government councils as part of its on-going constitution amendment brings into focus, once again, some of the challenges confronting the education sector, local government administration and the country’s tortured federal system.

    Apparently unimpressed by the stated motive for the proposed initiative, which is to enhance local government autonomy, the NUT unambiguously stated that “NUT is not opposed to local government autonomy but if local government must be given autonomy, our teachers’ salaries must be removed from the local government, local government cannot pay their workers salary; and let us also understand that the Supreme Court ruling of 2003 gave the authority of running primary schools to state governments”.

    Of course, the fears of the NUT are understandable and perhaps legitimate given the country’s experiences. As the union rightly recalled, teachers were owed salaries for prolonged periods, particularly during military rule when local governments were saddled with the responsibility of primary school administration. This was why primary school teachers across several states were on strike for months due to unpaid salaries at the inception of this dispensation in 1999. It was only when state governments took over this responsibility that the backlog of salary arrears was cleared and the system stabilised, with the timely and sustained payment of primary school teachers’ wages.

    What is at once obvious here is that for the NUT, and majority of Nigerians would agree with the union, there has been little change in the character of local government administration even 14 years after the return to a supposedly democratic dispensation. The local governments remain largely as unresponsive and lacking in transparency and accountability as was the case under military rule. There is thus a continued heavy deficit of trust between local governments and the people to the detriment of effective, efficient and productive grassroots governance.

    A more fundamental problem is that most local governments, just like many state governments, are not viable and functional economic entities. Ordinarily, it should stand to reason that primary education can best be administered by the government closest to the grassroots. This would, however, presuppose a genuine federal system in which administrative entities at various levels are able to generate a reasonable percentage of internal revenue to provide essential services like primary education to their people. What obtains in our situation, unfortunately, is that all tiers of government are dependent on oil revenue and thus have little incentive to creatively maximise the potentials of the human and natural resources at their disposal.

    This flawed federal structure is in turn responsible for the stultifying uniformity that sees diverse categories of workers, including primary school teachers, demanding a unitary pay structure throughout the country, irrespective of the fiscal capacity of the various states and local governments. The attempt by the National Assembly to predicate local government autonomy on a parasitic economic base of oil dependency is, in our view, misplaced and diversionary.

    For one, the federal and state governments are the federating units and local government is not an autonomous tier. Again, the priority should be on fundamental structural changes that compel the component parts of the polity to become economically productive and self-sustaining as much as possible. Equally imperative is the need to strengthen the culture of accountability and transparency at all levels in order to address the kind of legitimate fears expressed by the NUT.

  • Primay school teachers begin strike in Benue

    Primay school teachers begin strike in Benue

    Primary school teachers in Benue on Thursday began an indefinite strike to press for the payment of the national minimum wage.

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the state, Mr. Godwin Anya, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi that teachers were forced into the strike.

    Anya blamed the government for allegedly reneging on the agreement it sealed with the union for the beginning of payment in August.

    He said that under the terms of the agreement, the government was to fully implement the minimum wage to all teachers.

    Anya said contrary to the agreement, the government came up with a new chart, which showed that none of the teachers would benefit from full payment of the wage.

    He said the strike was called by the national body of the union, which ordered the state chapter not to suspend it until the government implements the demand.

    The chairman said the new chart released by the government would only benefit those below grade level 7.

    NAN, however, reports that teachers in public secondary schools have already started receiving the new wage.

    Meanwhile, some protesting school children on Thursday appealed to the state government to pay the wage, to avert the collapse of primary school system in the state.

     

     

  • ASUU strike: NUT meets Thursday

    ASUU strike: NUT meets Thursday

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) is to hold a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday to decide its next line of action over the lingering strike by university teachers.

    The NUT President, Mr. Michael Alogba-Olukoya, said this in a telephone chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday.

    The union had on September 26 given a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government and the lecturers to resolve their differences and end the strike or face nationwide strike by NUT members.

    The lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on the nationwide strike on July 1.

    The lecturers described the strike as “comprehensive, total and indefinite.”

    Alogba-Olukoya told NAN that the union extended the ultimatum following appeals from well-meaning Nigerians.

    He, however, noted that the extension would end on Tuesday.

    “Since we gave the ultimatum, well meaning Nigerians have been pleading with us.

    “In order not to cry more than the bereaved, we gave them till October 22. The NEC members will meet on Thursday to decide our next line of action, “he said.

    NAN reports that the university teachers are protesting non-implementation of an agreement they signed with the Federal Government in 2009 on improved funding of universities and payment of allowances to ASUU members, among others issues.

     

     

  • Cross River teachers resume strike

    Primary and secondary school teachers in Cross River State on Monday resumed their strike just as schools reopened for the new term.

    A communiqué issued at the end of an Emergency State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) meeting of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers held on September 5 stated that they resolved to resume the strike following the state’s government refusal to implement the Teachers’ Specific Allowance (TSA).

    The TSA translates to 27.5 per cent increase in the teachers’ salary.

    The communiqué, which was made available to The Nation, was signed by the chairman of the union, Comrade Eyo-Nsa Eyo Itam, its Secretary, Comrade Livinus Eta Omini and its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Dennis Monche.

    It reads, “Arising from the meeting which was attended by state elected officer and local government branch leaders, the state wing has noted that the government has failed to respect the agreement signed with the union to restore the Teachers Specific Allowance from July 2013.

    “It was also discovered that promotion are yet to be completely and correctly implemented.

    “All efforts by the union through the memo and contacts to government to respect the terms of agreement and commitment proved abortive.

    The SWEC demanded “the implementation of TSA from July 2013 be fully and correctly paid to both primary and secondary school teachers without further delay; the correct implementation of promotion to both primary and secondary school teacher who benefitted from it with the correct financial arrears as indicated with the promotion letters; and the complete release of promotion letters to teachers who benefited.”

    The communiqué further read, “The government having failed to respect the agreement and commitment reached with the union, the suspended strike of June 2013 is hereby resumed.

    “Teachers from public primary and secondary schools are therefore expected to sit at home from Monday, September 9, 2013 when schools would resume.

    “SWEC in session resolved that the teachers should not be held responsible for any lost of their academic calendar.

    “SWEC in session also resists further attempt by the government to treat teachers as second class civil servants as it is only the teachers that are ill-treated in their statutory demand for job satisfaction.

    “Once again be assured of our cooperation when demands are fully met.”

     

  • NUT to FG: Address anomalies in teaching profession

    The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) on Monday in Abuja urged the Federal Government to address various anomalies in the teaching profession.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Secretary General of NUT, Mr. Obong Ikpe, made the call when a delegation from the Tanzania Ministry of Education and Vocational Training visited the NUT secretariat.

    He said that a proposal was put to government by NUT demanding the establishment of a teacher regulatory agency, which was approved by the government after a prolonged strike by the union in 1993.

    He said it took government 10 years before the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) finally took off in 2003.

    According to him, there is a need for government to make sure National Certificate in Education (NCE) remains the minimum qualification in the teaching profession.

    “I am always worried when I hear about quacks in the teaching profession as the national policy on education is very clear.

    “People had always felt that if you are looking for a job and when it is not forthcoming, you will go and mark time with teaching; this was the case prior to the establishment of TRCN.

    “The minimum teaching profession is NCE, so if people still go ahead to recruit school certificate in the name of teaching whom are we to blame?’’

    He added it was the duty of the government and employers of teachers to adhere strictly to the policy on education.

    He said that policy on education stated that every teacher must have an NCE in the teaching profession.

     

  • NUT declares strike against LG autonomy

    NUT declares strike against LG autonomy

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) yesterday resolved to go on strike to pressurise the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to stop the planned autonomy for Local Governments in the country.

    The strike is scheduled for the beginning of the next academic session.

    The union has also launched a group life insurance cover for its members.

    Besides,the union said it would not allow the abolition of states and local government joint account,saying there must be a stable alternative platform for funding primary education in the country to guarantee regular payment of Primary School teachers salaries .

    The union president, Comrade Michael Olukoya,said in Abuja that the planned strike is “a temporary measure to secure the education of the less privileged constituting the masses of the population of this country.”

    The position of the NUT is at variance with that of the mother union -the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)- but Olukoya that teachers have to defend their source of income.

    He said that leaving primary education under the purview of local governments will not be in the best interest of education .

    Meanwhile, the NUT yesterday signed a deed of agreement with the Capital Express Assurance Limited for group life insurance cover for teachers.

    It said the move was a proactive step “towards ameliorating the suffering of teachers who might die in the service of the fatherland.”

  • NUT plans strike over LG autonomy

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Friday resolved to stay off school system as from the beginning of the next academic session in order to force the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly to stop any plan to grant autonomy to local government councils.

    Besides, the union insisted that even if the lawmakers are bent on granting autonomy to the local councils, it will not allow the abolition of states and local government joint account.

    NUT, however, gave a widow to the National Assembly and the state Houses of Assembly, saying that there must be a stable alternative platform for funding primary education in the country as such would guarantee regular payment of primary school teachers’ salaries.

    The union president, Comrade Michael Olukoya, who made this known in Abuja, said, “the union has resolved to stay off the school system as from the beginning of the next academic session as a temporary measure to secure the education of the less privileged in the country.”

    Although the position of the NUT is at variance with that of the mother union -the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Olukoya said NLC was on its own since the teachers must defend their source of income.

     

     

  • NUT vs Oshiomhole: Who blinks first?

    NUT vs Oshiomhole: Who blinks first?

    The Edo State government and the state’s wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) have crossed swords over the partial implementation of the Teachers’ Peculiar Allowances and suspension of salaries of striking teachers. With talks breaking down between both parties, resolving the crisis may be a challenge, reports OSAGIE OTABOR.

     

    There appears to be no end in sight of the strike by members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Edo State since June 1 over the implementation of the 27.5 per cent Teachers Special Allowances (TSA) also called Teachers Peculiar Allowances.

    Efforts by several stakeholders to intervene so schools can reopen have failed as the state government and the NUT have refused to shift grounds for negotiations to take place.

    The NUT meambers have also held several prayer sessions to seek divine intervention in the face-off.

    It was gathered that the government plans to advertise for new primary school teachers if the third term ends with the strike.

    Public primary schools have been closed since June 1, but secondary school pupils have been attending classes as Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) refused to join in the strike.

    The Edo State NUT joined 10 other states where the 27.5 per cent TSA was not implemented to embark on the strike following directives of its national body.

    The strike nearly marred the conduct of the Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination, but the state government made alternative arrangements for the examination to hold.

    Edo State was the first to implement the TSA in an agreement it entered with NUT and ASUSS that it would pay 17 per cent of the 27.5 per cent, while the balance would be added when the finances of the state improved. At a meeting Governor Adams Oshiomhole told the NUT officials to call off the strike. He said he would look at the financial implications of the full implementation on the purse of the local government councils.

    Commissioner for Basic Education, Patrick Aguinede, said the NUT leadership promised to meet with members and report back on their reaction, but they did not.

    The NUT chairman, Patrick Ikosimi said the first meeting did not produce any result and that the second meeting slated for June 11 was not held because, “the state government did not show readiness to meet with the leadership of the NUT.”

    “The state government wants us to call off the strike, but we have made it clear to them that the strike was called by the national body and that it is not our duty to call it off. Once the state government does the right thing like other states, the strike will be called off.

    “We were not taught to call off strike before going into negotiation. I can’t disobey the national body’s directive. They said an agreement must be reached before we call of the strike. They said we must have something concrete from the state government,” he said.

    On June 19, Oshiomhole approved the payment of the 27.5 per cent TSA with effect from July for secondary school teachers after a meeting with executives of ASUSS.

    He also invoked the No Work, No Pay rule on the striking primary school teachers and described the strike as illegal. The governor said it was wrong for the teachers to embark on strike when there was a subsisting agreement.

    He praised ASUSS for trusting him and not going on strike or doing anything that would affect the academic calendar. He said teachers that are not prepared to work would be encouraged to stay away permanently.

    His words: “I have never made promises to you that I have never kept. That is why I hurt when the NUT even though they were a party to that meeting, even though they agreed that what we are paying now is what we agreed to and that we have not violated any agreement, they promised that they needed time and would get back to us, they have continued with the strike.

    “I have monitored the comments made by the NUT Chair in which he tried to twist the facts. Such tactics will not help. As a government, we cannot fold our hands and watch anyone continue to disrupt our academic calendar. For members of the NUT who are not working, they will definitely not be paid for the period they did not work.

    “Because they are employees of the Local Government, I have directed the Local Government to meet and decide what to do about those teachers who have refused to come to work. If the Local Government listens to my advice, not only will they apply no work, no pay; we cannot continue to keep our schools closed.

    “I believe the teachers have completely abused this understanding and they have decided to hold the system to ransom. I believe it is time to deal with the issue squarely and put it behind us.

    “If they are under the illusion that anybody is going to increase their pay while they are on strike, that is not going to happen. I have also directed the Commissioner for Education to discontinue the assessment for promotion exercise as it concerns primary school teachers. If they are at home, the promotion exercise is also suspended.”

    Concerned about the continued strike, civil society organisations in the state intervened by convening a town hall meeting between the teachers and the state government.

    Aguinede and two other commissioners, Chief Lucky James of the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Washington Osifo of the Higher Education attended the meeting held at the Urhokpota hall.

    The hall was packed full with teachers and the NUT was led by its first State Vice Chairman, John Aiyobahan.

    Indication that the meeting would end in futility was when the government delegations observed that important officials of the NUT were absent. Aguinede expressed reservations whether the absentee NUT leadership would accept the decision reached at the meeting. It took the intervention of the organisers to call the meeting to order even as it was indicated the NUT leadership boycotted because the Governor was not present.

    Rev. David Ugolor of the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice said the meeting was to create an avenue for teachers to know the truth of the issues at stake and for the government to talk to the teachers directly.

    Aiyobahan explained to the members that the state government refused to negotiate with them.

    “We are not so hardened. The issue is not about calling off the strike but for an agreement to be reached. We have passed the stage of negotiation. We are now at the implementation stage,” he said.

    The hall became rowdy as the teachers shouted down comments by the commissioners. James and Aguinede could not convince the teachers on the need to go back to classes.

    Lucky told the teachers they were not told the truth by the NUT leadership. He urged the teachers to suspend the strike and that the state government would make an announcement within two days.

    Aguinede said the government would not negotiate while the teachers were on strike and appealed for understanding from the teachers.

    The meeting was hurriedly called off as the commissioners dashed off to the weekly state executive told The Nation that meetings.

    Some of the teachers who spoke accused the state government of negotiating with an illegal body and vowed not to return to classes.

    Ugolor told The Nation that they would meet with the NUT and the government on the matter.

    The face-off between the NUT and the government will not end by just calling off the strike as the NUT would have to fight for the payment of their salaries stopped as well as the suspension of the promotion assessment of teachers.