COEASU STRIKE: Workers lament government apathy
The National Secretary of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Taiwo Olayanju has said until Federal Government accede to the union’s demands its members will not go back to the classrooms.
He said the union is tired of government’s apathy and marginalisation of the Colleges of Education (COE) in the country, saying the strike that started last month was total and indefinite.
Addressing journalists at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka he said the strike which began was formally declared by the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) on November 15, 2017 but was not implemented because the union was lenient with the government to address its needs.
He said the union has met and written severally to the Federal Government but nothing has been done.
The union is agitating for the renegotiation of its 2010 agreement with the Federal Government, implementation of the 2014 needs assessment reports, autonomy to award degree in Education, implementation of the CONTISS 15, Peculiar earned Academic Allowance(PEAA), apathy of the state governments to the COEs, Non implementation of migration for the lower cadre and others.
Olayanju said: “We have been on an indefinite strike for over three weeks now. Both the federal and state governments have left festering issues unaddressed in spite of our patriotic zeal for industrial peace and diplomatic unionism over time. Rather than reciprocate our disposition to industrial peace, government has taken us for granted. Notice for the ongoing strike was issued as far back as 15th November 2017 but the strike did not commence until 27th September, 2018 when all alternative measures proved futile.
“We are here as members of COEASU to protest against the painful neglect, poor funding, breached agreements and miscarriage of justice within the Colleges of Education (COE) system. The poor sense of responsibility shown to COEs by government undermines dividend of democracy to the ordinary people whose children our institutions serve. The strike is total and indefinite. Until these issues are addressed, we will not go back to the classrooms. We can no longer tolerate the apathy of government”. He said
The COEASU Chairman, Akoka chapter, Comrade Ebenezer Oje said his members were being owed 29 months of allowances which amounts to N145million. He advised his members to remain resolute in the strike.
“Many states owe our members salaries. Osun state is the worst hit. When you see situation of members of staff of the colleges, you will feel for them. The last national strike we held in 2014 lasted for seven months. We are ready to sacrifice all it takes for the government to listen to us. We have embarked on this strike but we do not know when it will end.
“We want the government to feel the biting effect of this strike. The only condition for us to go back to the classroom is for the government to pay us our allowances and accede to our demands. We are tired of appeals, promises and lip service; we want result,” he said.
Culled from The Nation