Posted by By OLUWOLE AKINBOYEWA, Abuja on
Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) is considering staging a sympathy strike, in solidarity with the lingering Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) crisis, which has grounded learning in the nation's primary and secondary schools in the last two weeks.
Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) is considering staging a sympathy strike, in solidarity with the lingering Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) crisis, which has grounded learning in the nation's primary and secondary schools in the last two weeks.
The association in a statement in Abuja on Thursday said it may be forced to join the teachers if the Federal Government failed to address the teachers demands to enable the affected pupils return to classes.
SSANU President, Comrade Promise Adewusi, who signed the statement said: 'It is unfortunate and regrettable that the government continued to display a lackadaisical attitude towards the strike action thereby jeopardizing the future of children in public schools."
The statement added: 'SSANU only hopes that this is not a ploy to keep the poor poorer, while the rich keeps coasting home in grandeur since the children of the rich, including the children of senior government operatives cannot be found to condescend to attending public schools."
It advised that the strike should not be allowed to continue so as not to jeopardize the attainment of the government's future goals, in particular the Vision 2020 programme for which success the future generation had a laudable role to play.
The union called on all well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to issue the necessary implementation circular of the improved teachers wages promptly, at least at the federal level.
Comrade Adewusi expressed the regrets of the body, saying that the strike was avoidable particularly given the fact that there was a three-day warning strike.
The SSANU president observed that the NUT had shown good faith by not insisting that all teachers nationwide be paid same salary, adding that the NUT had acted based on their belief in true federalism as enunciated by the constitution.