Activities were paralysed in all public schools in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, today as teachers began indefinite strike to press home their demand for the implementation of the 27.5 percent salary increase.


Student of Ikosi Junior High school sitting outside their classrooms today following the strike by their teachers. Photo: Emmanuel Osodi

The schools were to resume this morning after the long vacation but the gates of the schools were shut against the students.

Thousands of students who thronged the schools this morning for resumption were disappointed as they were turned back home.

The teachers had warned that they would not resume until the government begins paying the 27.5 percent increaseTeachers’ Salary Scale, TSS.

In Alimosho, the strike was effective in over 125 primary and secondary schools in the area as teachers shunned work in compliance with the directive of the Lagos State Branch of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT. At Model College and Community High School, students were sent home. They were seen loitering around the gates of the schools.

Same goes for Government College, Iyana Ipaja, Oke-Odo Junior and Senior High School, Temidire Primary School, Aanu Oluwapo Primary School, among others.

In Agege, students were sent back home from Dairy Primary, Junior and Senior Secondary schools. Other schools in Agege were also shut.

In other parts of the Lagos metropolis, the situation was the same as teachers shunned work and students were sent home from schools. A senior Secondary School 3 student of Oke-Odo Senior High School, Ajibade Olashile told PM NEWS that he was disappointed that teachers had gone on strike as he expected to get back to his studies after the long vacation.

Another student, Ibrahim Tijani said he was not happy that he was sent home from school as public school students would now lag behind their counterparts in private schools.

Chairman, NUT, Alimosho branch, Comrade Claudius Sofoluwe told PM NEWS that the strike was total and that it was never called off as being reported in the media.

He said in 2008/2009, the state government reached an agreement to pay teachers the new 27.5 percent TSS and that government paid the full rate for 13 months only for it to back out of the agreement.

“In February, 2011, government stopped paying the money. We complained and they promised to begin implementation by April 2011. They started paying 9.2 percent and promised that they would pay the full rate as from January 2012 and till now, nothing has been done.

Sofoluwe said that despite countless meetings to resolve the issue, the state government refused to pay and promised that it would pay 16.5 percent of the 27.5 percent by 2013, saying this was not acceptable.

He stated that the teachers would continue the strike until the government complied with their demands.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga



http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/09/24/lagos-public-schools-shut-as-teachers-begin-strike/

they should pay them na!!! Our leaders sef!! If na their own na them no go blink an eye in pressing for their N35million quarterly allowee

Govt should implement the salary increase and allow students to resume because they already spent enough time at home for the holiday.

The civil servant don't consider other projects the government are taking care of. Must they dedicate their lives worshiping them? They should at least put into consideration other things, more so pupils and students are just resuming. This isn't a good start for new session at all.

Oh... Why

Best Governor of the year : Fashola.. He should be the next president

YES! There should an increase in their salaries, as well as, a decrease in the prize of garri...

But come, wait Ooo, wetin these mucolos they teach sef?

Why sign agreements you cannot keep?
First it was with Doctors, now its with teachers.
But its OK to alot of people because its Fashola.

Perhaps he should employ his usual bullying tactic and sack all of them.
I'm waiting for someone to come and say they are greedy.

If to pass draconian laws, Fashola will be the best. He has passed laws that will empower all Agberos who later turned into LATSMA to arrest and prosecute people. Also, asking people to plant flowers when 60% were under severe hunger.

Pay teachers and he is negotiating. Fashla, u supposed to understand that the key to a healthy environment is education.

They should expect nothing from their autocartic governor. One of his campaign promises last year was salary increase for the teachers. Now he has been reelected, he seems to have forgotten. So tyipcal of naija politicians.

Hardfact: . . .Fashola is working! Lagos is working!! Eko Onibaje!!!

bros many part of eko (lag) is rough and rugged.
If I dey lie ask rick ross

dis guys r playing with education...o

Here we go again.....politicians have no clue about education.

strike today strike tomorrow, this is a complete mess and out of other for politicians to jopadise the life of our future leaders and choose to send their children to overseas school.

Useless and overrated governor.
Mscheww.

With th long holiday,and this strike now,I hope the student would remember that they are still students,and what they learnt in last term. Govt should resolve this on time.Time na money ooo.

Seriously?? Is there still some money left in Lagos account?, just wondering cos with the latest selling of people's cars for breaking traffic rules and very soon, selling people's house for not planting flowers, and teachers now on strike? The generated revenue still remain? #Just asking

Paul John: The civil servant don't consider other projects the government are taking care of. Must they dedicate their lives worshiping them? They should at least put into consideration other things, more so pupils and students are just resuming. This isn't a good start for new session at all.

And what are u saying? Doesnt govt know of these other projects before signing the increment agreement? Isnt the teachers patient enough? This is an agreement reached in 2008/2009 i.e 3-4yrs ago and govt is yet to pay the full 27.5% increase... And ur here saying they should consider... Which project sef if i may ask Like spending N22.8M on typewriters? Is that the project?

#ThinkBeforeCommenting

jedisco: Why sign agreements you cannot keep?
First it was with Doctors, now its with teachers.
But its OK to alot of people because its Fashola.

Perhaps he should employ his usual bullying tactic and sack all of them.
I'm waiting for someone to come and say they are greedy.

Why are you quick to judge? The body that got all this started has not even paid its own workers and here you have Lagos State teachers that are supposed to be ancilliary to the FGN and teachers union.

Please note this quote in the news when you read it,

"On the 27.5 per cent allowance, Alogba said despite an agreement with the Federal Government on the need to prevail on the state governments to implement the TSS, some states have failed to do so. Alogba told the minister: “We have restrained our state wings from embarking on an unpalatable action because of your earlier intervention and promise. We implore you to call the states concerned to order before the schools reopen, failure of which teachers will down tools. Meanwhile, charity must begin at home. It calls to question, defeating all logic, that even the Federal Government has not paid our teachers in unity schools the 27.5 per cent teachers’ peculiar allowance. ”

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99719:strike-cripples-lagos-public-schools&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

At the rate things are going, the bubble would soon burst and the positives would be that we would get a true federal structure, at least within the labour market. This practice of the FGN signing an agreement with a union because it can pay based on its income, and then the unions expecting the states to pay the same would need to stop. Every employer/employee realtionship is different and should be allowed to get to its own equilibrum. Yes, we can benchmark but to demand parity is not acceptable.

timbros:

And what are u saying? Doesnt govt know of these other projects before signing the increment agreement? Isnt the teachers patient enough? This is an agreement reached in 2008/2009 i.e 3-4yrs ago and govt is yet to pay the full 27.5% increase... And ur here saying they should consider... Which project sef if i may ask Like spending N22.8M on typewriters? Is that the project?

#ThinkBeforeCommenting

That agreement was between the Union and the FGN, and the 22.8M on typewriters, is that a Lagos State budget or FGN You do need to take your own advice.

Akainzo:

That agreement was between the Union and the FGN, and the 22.8M on typewriters, is that a Lagos State budget or FGN You do need to take your own advice.

National theatre is owned by who? FGN or State?

How will they be able to afford to pay teachers when they construct a 1Billion per KM road. One sector must suffer.


Overrated , media hyped Governor.

timbros:

National theatre is owned by who? FGN or State?

Na wa o! None of both! it is owned by Gokana local govt in Rivers State. Even with the National in the name, you still dey ask the question

Akainzo:

Na wa o! None of both! it is owned by Gokana local govt in Rivers State. Even with the National in the name, you still dey ask the question

Thanks for answering that. So the National in the name indicates that FGN owns it, abi? And didnt u say in ur earlier post that the Union agreement was with FGN?
If FGN can map out N22.8M for National Theatre, why cant they as well pay teachers their 27.5% increase?

Now who needs to heed #ThinkBeforeCommenting adivse?

timbros:

Thanks for answering that. So the National in the name indicates that FGN owns it, abi? And didnt u say in ur earlier post that the Union agreement was with FGN?
If FGN can map out N22.8M for National Theatre, why cant they as well pay teachers their 27.5% increase?

Now who needs to heed #ThinkBeforeCommenting adivse?

My guy, you do need to take that your advice seriously. You are commenting on a thread about Lagos State teachers going on strike, and not FGN teachers being on strike. Paul John said the teachers should consider that Lagos govt has other projects running, you commented on his post with your 22.8M remark and advised him. I merely pointed out your fallacy as you are clearly not in tune with the discussion.

When you can differentiate between FGN, State and local governments, you'd be able to better contribute meaningfully to discussions.

Akainzo:

My guy, you do need to take that your advice seriously. You are commenting on a thread about Lagos State teachers going on strike, and not FGN teachers being on strike. Paul John said the teachers should consider that Lagos govt has other projects running, you commented on his post with your 22.8M remark and advised him. I merely pointed out your fallacy as you are clearly not in tune with the discussion.

When you can differentiate between FGN, State and local governments, you'd be able to better contribute meaningfully to discussions.

I dont argue blindly and i dont allow pride to prevent me acknowledge mistakes.

Now, teachers union went into agreement with FGN to increase their salary. Who was suppose to pay that salary? State? Or the FGN that went into the agreement? In the bolded above, you make it appear its a Lagos only thing but i understand from the OP that the strike just started in Lagos for now, potentially spreading to all parts of the country, since this is an agreement between FGN and NUT...

Clarify...

dis matter no be long thing at all, make una no forget say, public school na market

Delta state has long begin their indefinate strike;i wonder what our governors are doing.

Fashola na yeye man...

Kazey1st: Fashola na yeye man...

Agreed fashola is a yeye man but he is still 100000000000 unlimited better than ur worthless father...