Fuel Price Increase: College of Education staff instructed to work twice weekly
The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has instructed its nationwide members to only work two days a week until the Federal Government agrees to a substantial 200% pay increase.
In a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, COEASU National President, conveyed the decision made during the union’s emergency meeting on Tuesday. This action has been taken in light of the challenges faced by its members in commuting to work due to the soaring price of petrol.
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Olugbeko explained that the removal of fuel subsidies by the federal government two months ago resulted in a staggering 250% increase in the price of petrol per litre. This steep rise has further exacerbated the inflationary impact, causing a surge in transportation costs, food prices, and the general cost of living, ultimately leading to increased financial hardship.
He stated, “Workers, including staff of colleges of education, have demonstrated resilience and endurance, hoping that the difficult circumstances would be temporary, considering the government’s promise to implement palliative measures.”
However, Olugbeko expressed disappointment, disclosing that the price of petrol has now climbed to a staggering N650 per litre. As a result, COEASU has been inundated with complaints from members who can no longer afford to commute to their workplaces due to the exorbitant transportation costs.
In response to the situation, an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting will be convened to finalize the decision on which specific days of the week members will be expected to work.
Highlighting the urgent need for salary adjustment, Olugbeko emphasized that the current salary structure for staff of colleges of education has remained unchanged since its approval in 2010. This means that for the past 13 years, while the price of petrol has increased tenfold from N65/N70 to N650, their salaries have remained stagnant.
“Our salary structure, which should be renegotiated every three years, has been disregarded for 13 years, skipping four due renegotiations,” Olugbeko stated.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to swiftly address the issue of salary adjustment for staff of colleges of education, highlighting the potential adverse consequences that may result if the demands of the union are not met. These consequences include a prolonged academic calendar, where a semester of 16 weeks could extend to 32 weeks or even longer, and an extended teaching practice exercise of six months could turn into a year.
Dr. Olugbeko emphasized that the aim of COEASU is not to cause disruption or inconvenience to the students, but rather to bring attention to the dire circumstances faced by the academic staff. By implementing this temporary adjustment to their work schedule, they hope to compel the government to take prompt action in addressing their salary concerns.
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