allAfrica.com: Nigeria: FG Warns Teachers on Pickets (Page 1 of 2)

As the on-going teachers strike across the country enters its fourth day, the Federal Government yesterday warned the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) not to carry out its threat of picketing private schools whose teachers have been shunning the industrial action.

Minister of Information and Communication Mr. John Odey handed down the warning while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting.

Accompanied by the Minister of Education Professor Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu, the Minister of State for Education Chief Jerry Agada, and the Labour Minister Dr. Hassan Lawan, Odey said such picketing could cause the breakdown of law and order, warning that no reasonable government would fold its arms and allow such to occur.

But in a swift reaction, the NUT president, Comrade Onem Nelson Onem described the warning as an empty threat, stressing that the Minister of Information, John Odeh is ignorant of the country's labour laws.

He said picketing is an instrument of enforcing strike action as provided for in Section 42 of the Trade Union Act. "We advise ministers of education and information to receive proper guidance from the Attorney-General so that they will appreciate that picketing is lawful. We will take full advantage of the law in furtherance of this struggle," the union said.

The union has also vowed to continue its strike action despite a motion passed by the House of Representatives yesterday urging the Federal Government to immediately implement the new Teachers' Salary Structure (TSS).Speaking before the House yesterday, Mr. Niran Ojo, first national vice-chairman of NUT, said that the Union would not suspend the industrial action unless government issues a circular for the immediate implementation of the TSS.

The NUT had on Monday vowed to picket private schools whose teachers have refused to join the strike.Odey said "It is sad that a group of people who are also pioneers in the education sector want to take the laws into their hands. It is most unfortunate and no reasonable government of course would allow that to happen and certainly we will not allow that to happen, and entrepreneurs would not allow that to happen. At least this country is civilised enough not to allow such to happen."

However, Prof. Aja-Nwachukwu expressed the optimism that the NUT would not carry out its threat. He said "Nut is a very responsible organization and we doubt that they can go to that extent. We still believe that they will do everything within the law because we look up to them as mentors. We are yet to be convinced that they are doing such a thing.

If they doing it, then it is very unfortunate." The education minister said the government was committed to motivating teachers in terms of salaries and other issues "since they are the driving force of the education sector.

But they cannot arm-twist us to get us to dialogue. We will dialogue when the atmosphere is conducive". He noted that it was improper for the NUT national body to foist any decision in respect of pay increase on the states and local government, saying "the national union cannot sit down and make decisions for the state union like we are seeing.

This concerns payment and also the ability of various states to pay. How will you compel the private school to take your own rates? They may decide to pay their teachers higher than our own teachers, so they don't fall into the same bracket."Aja-Nwachukwu said despite the rancour, "government is committed and government is also encouraging the states to do what is possible and l can assure you that some states have also started discussing the issue with their teachers."

Meanwhile, the Federal Government is considering placating the striking teachers with a five percent salary increment instead of the new Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) being demanded by the NUT.

The Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Sani Sufi announced government's new thinking yesterday. Dr. Sufi also accused the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Teachers of pursuing selfish interest, under the cover of unionism.

He said the leadership of the NUT has been economical with the truth on the true situation of the new Teachers Salary Structure (TSS). He explained that the leadership cajoled members, many of whom lacked the requisite qualification to benefit from the TSS, to join the strike without educating them of the scope of the TSS. "What the Federal Government is considering is a 5 percent increase in salary and some states have in fact increased it up to 30 percent, and then there are some allowances of not more than between N300-N500 only for the staff of the Federal Government Colleges.

Why then should this catch up with the whole country, simply because the union prefers a centralized thing. What happens if we don't have federal government colleges, we are being compelled to come up with a complex of recommendations, the federal government is insisting that it is not going to be forced to recommend any structure of which somebody will use it to intimidate a state that cannot afford to pay.

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