The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has announced that the Union will not call off the ongoing strike until the Federal Government yield to the demands of the union.

It will be recalled that the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) started a nationwide strike when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) embarked on a warning strike over the minimum wage adjustment bill.

However, since COEASU has refused to resume work even after NLC called off the warning strike, the Union disclosed then that it does not intend to call off the strike until its demands are met by the Federal Government.

While speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the National President of COEASU, Nuhu Ogirima disclosed that the Union is ready to go on a prolonged battle with the government if the government does not meet the demands of the Union.

The COEASU President also emphasised that the Union will not be intimidated by the “no work, no pay” which the Federal Government usually use to blackmail workers into going back to work whenever a union of workers go on strike to demand their entitlements from the government.

Below is an extract of the statement released by the President of COEASU

”As we conclude the first phase of the national strike, we urge you all to be not distracted by the intimidation and threat of no work no pay. The threat should rather strengthen our resolve that enough is enough of exploitative work. It ’s no pay no work! So, do brace up for a prolonged battle – it is a no retreat no surrender action, for if we refused to stand for COE system now, we may not get it right again.”

“Where salaries are paid, it is the cooperative societies’ membership subscriptions and Unions’ dues that are being used to service/augment government allocation for salaries. So, if we didn’t threaten government no pay no work, why would government threaten us with no work no pay because we’re now requesting the government to pay us full salary, by the strike.” 

The President of the union also said that the no work no pay policy is a sign of insensitivity and irresponsibility towards the law-abiding labour force of the country, stating that the government needs to do better as hardworking lecturers deserve to be treated better.