Officially, the indefinite strike action declared by the National Union Teachers, NUT, Delta State Wing kicked off on Thursday, March 9, 2017. But what appears unknown is the date it will be called off so that the children who are at the wet end of the production process of tomorrow’s leadership can return to classes. This long-contemplated strike action by the teachers was actually suspended on September 9, 2016 to allow the state government to address a 10-point issue raised by the union which bothers on the welfare of the entire teachers in the state.
The New Diplomat findings revealed that the issues include non-payment of monthly salaries to primary school teachers as and when due, wilful downgrading of teachers in salary grade level (by Infosec), decision by JAAC to reduce primary school teachers monthly salaries to 81%, non-payment of minimum wage arrears of primary school teachers, non-payment of CONPSS areas for May/June 2015 and illegal deduction of teachers’ salaries.
Other issues raised by the union include the non-implementation of teachers’ promotions by the Post Primary Education Board ,PPEB and State Universal Basic Education Board ,SUBEB, non-payment of promotion arrears of primary and secondary school teachers and the non-payment of retired teachers’ benefits.
Five months down the line after the proposed strike action was suspended, the union believes that the state government has failed to address the issues raised. And rising from a meeting of the State Wing Executive Council,SWEC, held at Asaba on March 2, 2015, the union formally resolved to embark on an indefinite strike action beginning from March 9, 2017.
In a telephone chat with the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Chinedu Ebie, he expressed surprise that the union proceeded on strike action without giving adequate notice to the government. According to him, the Union sent a 10-point communiqué to the government on Friday March 3, 2015 intimating it that if the issues were not resolved within 7 days, they would proceed on strike. The commissioner further disclosed that the government invited the union executive for a meeting on Wednesday March 8, 2017 but it could not hold because the State chairman travelled out of the state. He was of the opinion that the strike action declared on Thursday March 9 violated the 7 days’ notice given by the Union.
The Commissioner however disclosed that he met with the union executive on Friday March 9, 2017, claiming that a lot of the issues were trashed leaving just about two of them yet unresolved. According to him, the issues left unresolved had to do with the welfare of primary school teachers.
“We had a very long negotiation with them and most of the issues were really thrashed out and left with one or two issues which bordered on the welfare of primary school teachers. The bone of contention is really with the primary school teachers and not the secondary school teachers. Like I did say to them, the primary responsibility for the payment of salaries for the primary school teachers falls squarely on the local government councils.
“The state government is just assisting. And so, it is not the responsibility of the state government, it is not our obligation. But anybody who worked is entitled to his salary.”
However, in an interview with TVC television channel yesterday, the state chairman of the Union, Mr. Jemirieyigbe J.O, argued that a 2002 Supreme Court judgment squarely placed the responsibility of financing local government administration including the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries on the state government.
In a telephone chat with the State Secretary of the Union, Mr. Joe Iyalekhue, he stated that no one single issue was resolved in their Friday March 9, 2017 meeting with the commissioner, adding that it only offered the opportunity to be acquainted with the details of what the union’s demands are and also for the government to give their own position on what they have done so far.
Said he: “The issues were looked into but they were not finalized. It was just an attempt to get details of what we were talking about, then give their own position on what they have done so far, but really there was no concrete evidence that the issues were actually addressed. Some decisions were taken but they are yet to manifest. But the issue of salaries for primary school teachers, they were not forthcoming and that until they see the governor. Mr. Iyalekhue stated that “the issue of inter-cadre, the issue of illegal transfers, the issue of promotion without implementing the financial implication, etc were not addressed. Statements were only being made to find out how they could go about it. I think the only one that was a bit concrete was the issue of pension of retired teachers that the government has released some money and that they will continue to release such money. But we are yet to verify that.”
The Secretary also restated the position of the Union that the teachers will not accept 81% percent of their salaries as monthly payment, adding that they rejected it when the government in its last JAAC meeting.
“81% is part of the issue. They offered 81% in their last JAAC and we have resisted that. Aside from the 81%, they are also indebted to December 2016, January and February 2017 salary arrears for primary school teachers. The 81% is only being offered for December 2016 salary, we are being owed December, January and February which have not been addressed. And of course, we are not ready to accept anything less. We need our full salary. We committed ourselves to a full job and so we should have full pay.”
On the way forward however, the Union’s scribe disclosed that they have fixed their general meeting for Monday March 13, 2017 to brief the enlarged body, but he was quick to add that as a body, “a bold step has not been taken at all.”
Also speaking with The New Diplomat on the ongoing strike action by the teachers, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah explained that the current problem with the Local Government Councils and Primary school teachers has to do with the present economic downturn especially as it affects the state.
As things are at the moment, if both government and the NUT stick to their guns and continue to trade blames and shift responsibility on who between the state and local government should cater for the salaries of the primary school teachers which appears to be the major issue, it means the strike action may not be called off soon.
The New Diplomat’s findings among a cross section of the primary school teachers in the state, indicates that they are ready to remain at home until the state government is ready to pay their arrears of full monthly salaries and that they will not accept 81% payment. It would be recalled that the state government allegedly received N14.6 billion London-Paris debt refund bailout recently for the purpose of clearing arrears of salaries of workers in the state including local government staff and teachers. The utilization of that fund for the purpose it was released has remained shrouded in mystery as the state government is not forthcoming on how it was actually disbursed.
