Averting Another NUT Strike

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) last week directed the state wings of the union in eighteen out of the thirty-six states of the federation to commence a sit-at-home strike from June 1, 2013 if the government remains adamant to its demands.

According to the union, the strike was to protest the non-implementation of the 27.5 percent Teachers Enhanced Allowance (TEA) agreed between the government and the union more than three years ago. While the affected states are reluctant to implement the allowance which the federal government promised would be paid in 2011, others are yet to implement the N18000 minimum wage for teachers in their states. This, the National Executive Council of the union at a meeting it held recently in Asaba, described as discrimination against teachers which must be resisted.

The Tide shares in the sentiments expressed by the NUT.  We find it absurd that at a time so much fuss is being made about executing the new road map towards educational advancement drawn by the federal government, not too long ago, the front line implementors of that critical document are being neglected.

The role of teachers in the achievement of the educational objectives of government at any point in time cannot be over-emphasised. As the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruquayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i has repeatedly argued, the effective implementation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda must naturally hinge first and foremost on the transformation of the education sector.

In the new road map for educational transformation, funding and resource mobilisation were also listed as priority areas. That the governments have now reneged in the fulfillment of basic financial obligations to teachers in half of the states of the federation leaves much to be desired on their sincerity of purpose.

We don’t want to be convinced, as commonly argued, that it is in the character of governments in this part of the world to enter into industrial agreements they have no intention of fulfilling, but we must hasten to say that it is one case too many.

Governments have for too long taken a fire brigade approach to resolving industrial disputes with labour. What we see in most cases is that government goes into negotiation, makes concessions, and reaches agreements, just to ensure that strikes are  called off, only to abandon the agreements thereafter. This has resulted in a vicious cycle of strikes over the same issue.

Time and again, such agreements have been entered into between government and labour unions such as Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Petroleum Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), but were observed in the breach. In nearly all the occasions, it took another threat and or strike to get government to honour previous agreements.

A clear example was the series of strikes by NLC prior to the approval of the N18,000 minimum wage which took yet another round of strikes in most of the states of the federation to persuade governments towards implementation. Even so, many states are yet to be convinced of the need to implement the new minimum wage.

Government must appreciate the importance of confidence building in labour relations as well as the need for timely implementation of agreements reached with various stakeholders to avoid unnecessary heating up of the polity.

At a time when the country faces serious security challenges, keeping students and wards out of school will only compound the problem.

We, therefore, urge the federal government to intervene in a timely manner to nip in the bud, the looming strike.

The affected states should be told in clear terms that functional education is a sine qua non to the survival of any modern society and this cannot be achieved without sustainable industrial harmony. Everything possible should be done to prevent another disruption of the academic calendar not only at this level but at every other level of education.

It is also important to mention that any strike at this time can hamper the ongoing West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE).

Even so, we call on the NUT to explore all other avenues of resolving the conflict in the interest of the nation and our children. The union should keep its doors open for further dialogue to address all the issues raised. We think that strike should only be a last resort.