No work no pay: Policy grandstanding, a mark of insensitivity and irresponsibility – COEASU
The Colleges of Education Academic staff Union, COEASU, has described the no work no pay policy of the Federal government as grandstanding, a mark of insensitivity and irresponsibility towards the law abiding labour force of the country.
Stressing that the Union would not be intimidated by the policy, National President of COEASU, Nuhu Ogirima urge it members no OT to be distracted but should rather brace up for the challenges ahead.
He said, “The threat should rather strengthen our resolve that enough is enough of exploitative work. It’s no pay no work!
“So, do brace up for a prolonged battle – it is a no retreat no surrender action, for if we refused to stand for COE system now, we may not get it right again.”
This was contained in a statement released in Abuja on Friday.
Ogrima said “as we conclude the first phase of the national strike, we urge you all to be not distracted by the intimidation and threat of no work no pay.
According to him, lecturers in colleges of education have been receiving fractional and mutilated salaries for years in all federal colleges of education, especially because of the non-inclusion of PAA.
“Where salaries are paid, it is the cooperative societies’ membership subscriptions and Unions’ dues that are being used to service/augment government allocation for salaries.
“So, if we didn’t threaten government no pay no work, why would government threaten us with no work no pay because we’re now requesting government to pay us full salary, by the strike,” he questioned.
The union said government’s disposition has only vindicated its perception that the current federal government does not care for the less privileged, whose children constitute over 90 per cent of colleges of education student population.
“Else, how would FG justify its refusal to implement 2014 Needs Assessment report on the 70 public COEs, which review it called for again in 2017, when it began the implementation of same report for another tertiary education institution, to which the children and wards of the elites subscribe, in 2015?
“What justification has FG to refuse the full implementation of CONTISS 15 by denying the lower cadre of COEs, much more so when the same FG did for a sister sub-sector both of whom a presidential approval was given in 2009,” he asked.
He noted that there has not been any commensurate adjustment in salary since the pump price of fuel was unadjusted astronomically, adding that “We’ve never been more impoverished than now, it has been exploitation galore for this administration, I dare say”.
