Jos — The National Association of Nigerian students (NANS) has threatened to protest if lecturers of tertiary institutions in Plateau State do not return to work. NANS coordinator, Zone C, Kassim Mohammed Kassim at a news conference in Jos yesterday lamented that the state owned tertiary institutions have been on strike for about a year, and that students have lost an academic session already. He said the students would no longer sympathize with the lecturers as investigation shows that they have been collecting their salaries.

Kassim warned that if the strike is not called off, they would have no option, but to endorse the implementation of the "no work no pay" rule under Section 43 (a) of the Trade Disputes Act, which provides that where a worker takes part in a strike, he shall not be entitled to any wage or other remunerations for the period of the strike.

He said it was unreasonable for the lecturers to insist on the salary structure approved for Federal

Government owned tertiary institutions since the financial strength of the state is not the same with that of the Federal Government. Kassim called on the students to remain calm, saying the union is working hard to ensure that the lecturers return to work.