A nationwide strike may soon disrupt academic and administrative activities in the 110 Federal Government Colleges (FGCs), also known as Unity Schools, following a strike notice issued by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN).
The union has expressed frustration over the Federal Ministry of Education’s failure to address workers’ welfare issues, despite repeated calls for dialogue since 2023. ASCSN has issued a 21-day ultimatum, warning that workers will down tools if their demands are not met.
Key Demands and Grievances
The union highlighted several unresolved issues, including the payment of promotion arrears, salary elongation arrears, and allowances for education officers displaced from Unity Schools in the North-East. Other demands include:
- Payment of transport and duty tour allowances for Federal Education Quality Assurance Service (FEQAS) staff.
- Reduction of exorbitant medical fees charged by the Health Management Organisation (HMO) under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
- Regularization of appointments for PTA teachers.
- Implementation of policies allowing union units in Unity Schools to participate in decision-making processes through the School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs).
- Scholarships for children of education officers teaching in Unity Schools, as directed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Joshua Apebo, ASCSN Secretary-General, emphasized the union’s growing impatience with the ministry’s inaction. “All our efforts since 2023 to bring the Ministry to the negotiating table have been treated with contempt,” Apebo said.
The union lamented that repeated letters and requests for meetings to discuss these issues have been ignored. It also criticized the ministry’s failure to hold quarterly meetings to address workers’ grievances, a practice previously established to ensure industrial harmony.
“Since all efforts to bring the Federal Ministry of Education to the dialogue table have been frustrated, the national leadership of the Association can no longer contain the restiveness of its members,” Apebo warned.
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The union has made it clear that no further notice will be given after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum, dated January 23, 2025. Apebo urged stakeholders to intervene promptly to avoid the impending industrial action.
“All stakeholders are urged to prevail on the Federal Ministry of Education to embrace dialogue now instead of waiting for industrial actions to start, only to plead with the union to sheath its swords,” he added.
If the strike proceeds, it will affect students, teachers, and staff across Unity Schools nationwide. Parents and educational stakeholders have expressed concerns about the potential disruption of academic activities.
The Federal Ministry of Education has yet to respond to the strike notice or address the issues raised by ASCSN. With the deadline fast approaching, the union’s demands highlight the urgent need for action to ensure industrial peace and harmony in Unity Schools across the country.