Subsidy: Nigeria College of Education lecturers to work two days a week

The union overseeing teachers in Nigerian colleges has directed its members across the country to henceforth go to work for just twice a week amid cost-of-living crisis caused by increased price of petrol.

– Key points to note

The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) said lecturers in colleges of education can no longer work for five days a week until the federal government increases its members’ salaries.

The directive is contained in a statement signed by COEASU national president, Smart Olugbeko, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

The statement said that the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government has caused hardship for workers. The price of petrol has risen from N185 in May to N617.

“This worsened the inflationary rate on the cost of transportation, food, and other essential commodities and impoverished the Nigerian people,” the statement said.

“Workers, including staff of colleges of education, kept faith with the government and chose to endure the untold hardship thinking it would be only for a while as the government promised to roll out palliative measures.

“Alas! While our capabilities to sustain hope were already exhausted, the price of petrol rose further to N650 per litre.”

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In June, the organized labour met with the federal government and demanded an increase in the minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000 to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal.

The union also requested tax holidays to be granted to workers.

COEASU said the current salaries its members receive were approved in 2010 when a litre of petrol was N65, saying that salary structures are expected to be reviewed every three years.

“Now, the leadership of the union has been inundated by members’ complaints that they could no longer go to work as a result of hike in the price of petrol and resultant high cost of transportation,” he said.

Olugbeko explained that it became necessary for the union to direct members to go to work only two days weekly.

“We call on the federal government to urgently do the needful because the inevitable action of the union against this hardship will have devastating effects on the students.

“As it will lead to a prolonged academic calendar – a semester of 16 weeks will become 32 weeks or more; while teaching practice exercises of six months will become 12 months,” COEASU said.