The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has appealed to the Federal Government to implement the 2014 Needs Assessment report on the 70 public Colleges of Education (COEs) in the country.
Mr Nuhu Ogirima, National President, COEASU, made the appeal in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja,
He said that the Federal Government has no justification for not implementing the report.
“We have also called for the review again in 2017 when it began the implementation of same report for another tertiary institution, to which the children and wards of the elites subscribe in 2015.
“ What justification has the Federal Government to also refuse the full implementation of CONTISS 15 by denying the lower cadre of COEs?
“Much more so when the same government approved it for a sister sub-sector in 2009,” he said.
He said government disposition has only vindicated the union perception that the current administration does not care for the less privileged, whose children constitute over 90 per cent of the colleges’ students population.
The president, however, noted that the union has concluded its first phase of the national strike and urged all not to be distracted by the intimidation and threat of ‘no work no pay.’
“The threat should rather strengthen our resolve that enough is enough of exploitative work,” he said.
Ogirima noted that the Federal Government should address issues and not threaten workers with ‘no work no pay.’
According to him, the union frowns at this grandstanding toward the law abiding labour force of our dear country.
“Recall that we have been receiving fractional and mutilated salaries for years in all Federal Colleges of Education, especially because of the non-inclusion of Peculiar Academic Allowance (PAA).
“ Where salaries are paid, it is the cooperative society’s membership subscriptions and unions’ dues that are being used to service and augment government allocation for salaries.
“So, if we did not threaten government with ‘no pay, no work’, why would the government threaten us with ‘no work, no pay’” he said.
He also recalled that there has not been any commensurate adjustment in salary since the pump price of fuel was adjusted astronomically.
“We have never been more impoverished than now, it has been exploitation galore by this administration, I dare say.
“Furthermore, Federal Government’s commitment to the renegotiation has been quite questionable, as it has not come to terms with us on our proposed salary structure and a host of other issues,” Ogirima added. (NAN)
