Jelili Gbadamosi
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Delta State chapter, has threatened to stage a peaceful protest over what it described as its exclusion from a key stakeholders’ meeting on issues affecting teachers and trade union affairs in the state.
The union, in a letter dated July 24 and signed by its State Secretary, Comrade Dan Basime, notified the Department of State Services (DSS) of the planned demonstration and requested security protection for its members.
According to the NUT, the protest was prompted by a July 20 meeting convened by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government with the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASSUS) and other stakeholders to discuss the reversal of the ₦500 levy deduction by the Office of the Head of Service.
In a separate letter dated July 23 to the Secretary to the State Government, the union criticised its exclusion from the meeting, insisting that it was a principal stakeholder and signatory to the August 27, 2018 agreement on the matter.
The NUT argued that deliberations on issues affecting the union without its participation could threaten industrial harmony and create unnecessary divisions within the education sector.
The union also maintained that matters relating to trade unions and check-off dues are governed by federal law and fall under the authority of the Registrar of Trade Unions, stressing that no group has the legal power to alter existing arrangements unilaterally.
It recalled that the 2018 stakeholders’ agreement, brokered during the administration of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, approved a quarterly ₦500 levy and had not been reviewed or amended since then.
While reaffirming its commitment to dialogue and collective bargaining, the NUT warned that its preference for peaceful engagement should not be interpreted as weakness. It also expressed support for Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration and its M.O.R.E. Agenda.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Delta State Government nor ASSUS had responded publicly to the union’s concerns or the planned protest.
