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Nigeria: Strike - NUT, NLC to Picket Private Schools
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This Day (Lagos)
2 July 2008
Posted to the web 2 July 2008
Our Reporters
Lagos
The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) yesterday reached an agreement with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Organisations on how to join forces to picket private schools in order to get them involved in the ongoing national strike.
Private schools due to their ownership pattern had not been part of the NUT which draws the bulk of its membership from teachers in the public schools.
Governor Babatunde Fashola, has, however, asked striking teachers to take their case to the National Assembly where their grievances would be given expedited action.
However, as part of NUT's effort to make its strike have serious impact, the leadership of the body yesterday went into discussions with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Organizations to picket private schools that are yet to join the ongoing national strike.
Towards this end, the National Secretariat of the NUT at end of the meeting with labour directed the Strike Monitoring Units in all States to ensure that the strike is observed in all private schools that are yet to observe the strike.
In a statement signed by NUT's Deputy National President, Mr Onem Nelso Onem and its Secretary-General, Obong Ik , the union said that all the units will be beefed up by the NLC and civil society organizations.
"The NUT is resolved to ensure that some of the private schools that are open are shut down. We will not allow the rich, especially those in government, whose children are in those private schools the luxury of leaving the schools open while the strike is on", it said.
It noted that as the umbrella body of primary and secondary school teachers in both private and public schools, the NUT has the obligation to ensure that teachers in the private schools get corresponding enhancement of the conditions of service of teachers similar to their counterparts in public primary and secondary schools.
NUT also noted that while teachers' salaries are generally poor, the conditions are much worse for teachers of the private schools.
"We urge them to observe the ongoing strike and not allow themselves to be used to undermine a struggle that will benefit all teachers irrespective of the employers", it said.
However, in Lagos State, some private primary and secondary schools were said to have joined, while many others continued normal academic activities.
Students and pupils of the affected private schools were seen returning home few minutes after their schools resumed for the day, while others were said to have been informed not to come to school on Tuesday.
According to a student of one of the affected schools, their Principal instructed them to go back home and come back on Thursday.
Speaking to newsmen at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Fashola said that teachers deserve the best considering their contribution in the development of the society and stressed that what they are clamouring for was just.
"The Federal Government has no right to stipulate salary for states. My advice to the teachers is to transfer their energy to the National Assembly for appropriate revenue allocation to the states.", he said.
Speaking on the industrial strife, however, the Director- General of Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS) Ilorin, Kwara State, Dr. John Niyi Olarenwaju yesterday called on teachers to fulfill its historic role of resilient agent of social change and a partner in national development instead of engaging in strike actions.
He made the call in Ilorin on Tuesday while speaking at the opening of one-day workshop on Re-thinking the Labour Movement in the Context of Globalization and National Reform for PENGASSAN-PPPRA officials.
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According to him, "The present industrial crisis in Nigeria demands a national platform for social dialogue where all the stakeholders at all levels could meet and constantly to monitor the socio economic conditions of the country and proffer lasting solutions to industrial crisis."s
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