The Nationwide Affiliation of Educational Technologists, NAAT, Federal College Lokoja Chapter has launched into a three-day warning strike following the non-payment of their 4 months of withheld salaries through the 2022 industrial motion by College Unions.
Recall that the quick previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had carried out “No Work no pay” through the 2022 Strike however President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023 granted a waiver and ordered the fee of the 4 months withheld salaries.
Frightened by the unfair therapy meted to members of NAAT, Chairman of the Affiliation, Jibril Oni Ilepinran stated 4 unions particularly; Educational Employees Unions of Universities, ASUU, Non-Educational Employees Union of Instructional and Related Establishments, NASU, Senior Employees Affiliation of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and NAAT had been affected by the withheld salaries however just one was paid the 4 months salaries by the federal government.
Ilepinran famous that neglecting the remaining three is unacceptable and unfair, saying that efforts to fulfill related leaders together with these within the Presidency proved abortive.
He stated the warning strike was on the occasion of the Nationwide Govt Council, NEC, of the Affiliation.
In his phrases “It’s my pleasure to affix my voice with others to specific our dismay on the motion of the Federal Authorities to the entire world because of selective favour and injustice displayed among the many 4 primarily based unions within the Federal Universities.
“Within the yr 2022, members of the Nationwide Affiliation of Educational Technologists (NAAT) and the opposite three primarily based unions on the Federal Universities particularly Educational Employees Union of Universities (ASUU), Non-Educational Employees Union of Instructional and Related Establishments (NASU) and Senior Employees Affiliation of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) launched into nationwide strike demanding for higher working circumstances, the then Administration underneath President Muhammadu Buhari as an alternative of given the unions a listening ear, invoked ‘no work on pay’ coverage which result in salaries of Universities Employees been withheld for months.
“In 2023 the current President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu acknowledged publicly a waiver on the coverage of ‘no work no pay’ and directed that 4 months withheld salaries must be paid throughout board to Federal College employees. To our shock, just one union was paid leaving the opposite three particularly NAAT, NASU and SSANU unattended.
“The Nationwide Govt Council (NEC) of the NAAT has no different possibility after the management of the union had written a letter of enchantment for fairness, equity and justice to the Minister of Labour and different stakeholders dated sixteenth February 2024 which none of them both responded nor acknowledged until date resolved on the finish of its emergency digital assembly held on Wednesday thirteenth March 2024 to embark on a 3-day warning strike and nationwide protest on the primary day commencing as we speak Wednesday twentieth to Friday twenty second March 2024.
“That is to allow the union to press house its demand for the fee of withheld salaries of members of NAAT as accepted by the presidency. It is very important observe that each one segments of the Universities complement each other to attain the imaginative and prescient and mission of creating Universities. The union is looking on the Federal Authorities to do the needful or be held liable for any distraction of educational actions in our universities as we embark on a nationwide strike.
The Affiliation additionally launched into a peaceable protest towards the injustice meted out to its members, carrying placards with varied inscriptions together with; Educational Technologists are vital within the College System, Pay us our Sweat! It’s Earned, NAAT: We’ve suffered Sufficient, Pay Us Now.
