Funmi Komolafe With Agency Reports
28 July 2008
Lagos — AS the national strike of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) enters its fifth week today, the Minister of State for Education, Hajiya Aishatu Dukku, said in Bauchi, weekend, that the Federal Government was negotiating with the union to resolve the strike which has kept all primary and post primary school students at home.
But contacts made with officials of the union by Vanguard last night indicated that no negotiation was in place. Secretary-General of the NUT, Comrade Obong Ikpe Obong, who confirmed this, however, said the union would be meeting with representatives of the Governors' Forum (GF) in Abuja today.
The GF is a meeting point for the 36 state governors who are employers of primary and secondary school teachers.
A senior official of the NUT asked: "Where is the negotiation taking place? Who is attending? You are aware that the Federal Government has insisted it would not negotiate with teachers."
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the Minister of State dismissing as "misleading the insinuation that the Federal Government was not doing anything to end the strike," she said.
"The Federal Government is deeply concerned about the situation and has adopted measures to end the impasses."
However, the National Executive of the NUT which met last night in Abuja directed its state councils to continue their rallies from today till Wednesday, July 30.
Asked if the teachers were tired of the strike, he said: "No teacher is tired. They have decided to make this strike to end all wars connected with the implementation of the TSS."
He said the teachers left for their various states with a stern warning to union officials that they should be ready to put their lives on the line if they should call off the strike without anything concrete on the TSS.
NAN further quoted the minister as saying: "Our concern is not only the implementation of the Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) but we are determined to ensure a rapid and sustainable transformation of the sector. We are geared towards improving teachers welfare. Our teachers deserve better salaries and conducive working environment."
Meanwhile, the National Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress is due to meet in Abuja tomorrow to discuss the lingering labour dispute between the NUT and the Federal Government.
Education Minister, Chief Aja Nwachuku, claimed that teachers in the Unity Schools were not members of the NUT. He said they were civil servants.
The NUT on its part maintained that at no time did the union ask the Federal Government to negotiate on behalf of state governments as claimed by government officials.
The union's position is that the Federal Government should issue a circular on the Teachers' Salary Scale even for those in the Unity Schools owned and controlled by the Federal Government.
Last week, the NLC president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, sent an urgent letter to President Umaru Yar'Adua, calling for his urgent intervention to end the labour impasse.
Omar said: "This matter at this stage requires your urgent direct intervention to break the impasse and enunciate a framework that will meaningfully address the concerns of the teachers.
"I write to respectfully call for Your Excellency's urgent and decisive personal intervention over the nation-wide strike by primary and secondary school teachers organised by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT). It is unfortunate that the strike has paralysed educational activities in the primary and secondary schools systems."
The NLC president who was until his election as president of the central labour organisation, president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers cautioned: "Everything must be done to ensure that this matter does not escalate to a point that the NLC will be compelled to assume the driving seat."
Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is expected at tomorrow's national executive meeting of the NLC, 22 years after the union was separated from the NLC by virtue of Decree 17 of 1986 which made it illegal for any association of senior staff to affiliate with the Nigeria Labour Congress.
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