COEASU Directs Lecturers To Work Twice A Week

College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has directed lecturers in public colleges of education to embark on work to rule, to protest the effects of the petrol subsidy removal.

The union directs the lecturers to report for duty twice weekly until all issued caused by the subsidy removal are addressed by federal government.

The union issued the directive after the emergency meeting of its National Executive Council on Tuesday.

Its president, Dr. Sam Olugbeko said the petrol subsidy removal is making life difficult for lecturers in the Colleges of Education. According to the union, its members could no longer endure the hardship.

The union says the lecturers will return to full duty after federal government agreed to a 200 per cent pay rise demanded by the Organized Labour. It says the present salary structure of the lecturers was approved in 2010 for renewal every three years.

Related News:

House Of Reps Asks Federal Varsities To Reverse The Fresh Hike In Tuition Fees

The statement reads, “The National leadership of our great Union in its extraordinary meeting held on Tuesday, 18th July 2023 had agreed to direct its members to go to work two days weekly until Federal Government yields to its demand of 200 percent increase in salary amidst the difficulty of members to get to work as a result of hike in the price of petrol,” the statement partly read.

“The implementation of the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government two months ago raised the price of a litre of petrol by 250%.

“This worsened the inflationary rate on the cost of transportation, food, and other essential commodities and impoverished the Nigerian people. 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 including a significant increase in salaries.

“Alas! While our capabilities to sustain hope were already exhausted, the price of petrol rose further to N650 per litre. Now, the leadership of the Union has been inundated by members’ complaints that they could no longer go to work as a result of a hike in the price of petrol and the resultant high cost of transportation.”