The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, (ANCOPSS), Delta State Chapter have dared governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s on his threat and intimidation of “No Work, No Pay” should teachers refuse to call off their ongoing strike and resume class today.
The NUT and ANCOPSS vowed that no form of intimidation and threats been employed by the state governor and connivance with the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), will make teachers to suspend their ongoing strike, saying that those giving directives to teachers to resume school despite the ongoing industrial strike action, lacks the jurisdiction to do so.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had on Saturday March 18 in a press statement, directed members of ANCOPSS to ensure that secondary school teachers resume work from Monday March 20, threatening to invoke the “no work, no pay policy”.
Reacting to the threat, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr. Jonathan Jemirieyigbe insisted that apart from the union no one has the right to direct teachers to suspend the ongoing strike in the state, “Only the Union has the right to suspend or call off the strike not an association like ASUSS. Teachers are ready to fight for their rights no matter the threat or intimidation from any quarter.”
The union while warning the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) to discard its propaganda and connivance with the state governor, it stated that the powers of the NUT as registered trade union cannot be usurped adding that though, ASUSS still remain members of NUT but lacks that powers and constitutional rights to direct Secondary school teachers to call off the strike.
Meanwhile, reacting to the development, the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS, Delta State Chapter says the decision to call off the ongoing strike action embarked upon by secondary and primary school teachers in the State, rest on the Delta State Chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT and not its members.
According to the State President of ANCOPSS, Mr. Brisibe Ebipade Mark, by virtue of their positions as school principals, they are always in their duty posts to render skeletal services during strike action saying that for the “avoidance of any doubt, Issues such as non-implementation of promotion arrears, inter-cadre transfers and non-payment of pensions to retirees for five years running affect secondary schools /technical schools.
Also reacting, the Warri South local government chairman of NUT, Mr. Ikuejawa Ishmael, averred that it is only the Delta State Wing Executive Council, SWEC of NUT which declared the strike action that can call it off, and wondered why teachers were being owed salaries for couple of months, yet political appointees get paid as at when due.
HardReporters recalled that the SWEC had on Thursday March 9, 2017 resumed its suspended strike action over the non-implementation of its 10-point demand which includes, non-implementation of monthly salaries to primary school teachers as at when due, decision by JAAC to reduce primary school teachers monthly salaries to 81%, non-implementation of teachers‘ promotions by PPEB and SUBEB as well as non-payment of promotion arrears of primary and secondary school teachers.
