The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, has directed it members to go to work twice a week untill Federal Government yields to its demand of 200 percent increase in salary.
Dr. Smart Olugbeko, COEASU National President, revealed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said the decision was reached at the COEASU’s extraordinary meeting held on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, following the difficulty it members are facing as a result of the hike in the price of petrol.
According to him, the implementation of the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government two months ago raised the price of a litre of petrol by 250%.
“This worsened the inflationary rate on the cost of transportation, food, and other essential commodities and impoverished the Nigerian people.
“Workers, including staff of Colleges of Education, kept faith with the government and chose to endure the untold hardship thinking it would be only for a while as the government promised to roll out palliative measures including a significant increase in salaries.
“Alas! While our capabilities to sustain hope were already exhausted, the price of petrol rose further to N650 per litre.
“Now, the leadership of the union has been inundated by members’ complaints that they could no longer go to work as a result of hike in the price of petrol and resultant high cost of transportation,” he said.
Olugbeko explained that it became inevitable for the union to direct members to go to work only two days weekly.
He added that an emergency NEC meeting would be convened to ratify the decision to decide the specific days of the week members were to go to work.