By Gloria Emmanuel The leadership of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has vowed to resist any attempt by the National Assembly to remove the National Minimum Wage from the Exclusive List.
This is even as the union insisted that National Assembly must ensure that payment of salaries of primary school teachers and management of primary education must be removed from the Local Government Councils across the country.
In a statement jointly signed by President Michael Alogba Olukoya and Secretary General Obong Obong, on Thursday in Abuja, NUT said the teachers would not fold their hands while unpopular polices are forced on them.
According to the statement, “Considering that the financial allocation to each Local Government as it stands today can not sufficiently fund primary education and other demands of such councils.
“Much as the NUT is not opposed to the autonomy of Local Governments, the resolve of the Nigeria Teachers not to once again have the payment of their salaries and management of primary education left in the hands of the authorities Local Government Councils remain unchanged and will be strongly resisted”.
NUT also expressed concern about the recommendation of the National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Amendment for removal of minimum wage from exclusive.
According the statement, “The committee insistence to move the matter of minimum wage from the exclusive list to the concurrent list is another calculated attempt to cause avoidable industrial crisis in the nation polity.
“We wish to remind the committee that salaries of political office holders as fixed by the National Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission do not factor the financial strength of the particular State which such political office holders are elected or appointed to represent.
“It is therefore hypocritical to remove the wage of public servants from the exclusive legislative list of the constitution.
“The deregulation of the wage of the public servants with regulation of the perquisites of political office holders is unthinkable and smart of double standard. It is self serving and will therefore be rejected by the working class in all democratic tradition.
“The legislation and executive policies are expected to derive and serve the interest of the greater majority.
“In this exercise the National Assembly has only served the interest of the political class throwing into the abyss the interest of the common man and working class which constitute the majority of Nigeria.
“The essence of constitutional amendment is to write the wrong and address matters of injustice and not to cause further disaffection, dislocation and avoidable chaos in the system.
“These misguided judgments of the committee must be reverted forthwith in the interest of industrial peace in the nations school system.
“Nigeria teachers are keenly watching especially now that the 2015 general election is by the corner,” it said.
