Delta: NUT threatens protest over alleged attempt to polarise the union

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Delta state wing, has announced plans to stage a peaceful protest on Thursday, over what it described as an alleged attempt to polarise the union and undermine the August 27, 2018 stakeholders’ agreement involving the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASSUS.

The union formally notified the Department of State Services (SSS) of the planned protest in a letter dated July 24, signed by State Secretary, Comrade Dan Basime, requesting security protection for its members.

According to the NUT, the protest became necessary following recent developments which it believes threaten industrial harmony and seek to reopen issues the union said were conclusively resolved through a stakeholders’ agreement reached in 2018.

The decision to protest followed a meeting convened on July 20 by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government with ASSUS and some stakeholders over the reversal of the ₦500 levy deduction by the Office of the Head of Service.

However, in a strongly worded letter dated July 23 to the Secretary to the State Government, the NUT protested its exclusion from the July 20 meeting.

It argued that as a principal stakeholder and signatory to the 2018 agreement, no such meeting should have been held without its participation. The union warned that discussing matters affecting it in its absence could undermine industrial peace and create avoidable divisions within the education sector.

The NUT maintained that issues relating to trade unions and check-off dues are regulated by federal law and fall under the statutory authority of the Registrar of Trade Unions. It stressed that no association has the power to unilaterally alter existing arrangements outside the legal framework.

Recalling the 2018 stakeholders’ agreement convened by the then Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the union noted that all parties had agreed to a quarterly ₦500 levy and said no subsequent meeting had been held to review or amend that decision. The union contended that any attempt to revisit or overturn the agreement without the inclusion of all stakeholders would amount to a breach of that understanding.

While reaffirming its commitment to dialogue and collective bargaining, the NUT emphasised that its preference for peaceful engagement should not be mistaken for weakness. It also expressed support for the administration of Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and the implementation of the M.O.R.E. Agenda.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Delta State Government nor ASSUS had publicly responded to the NUT’s notification of the planned protest or the issues raised.

If held, the protest is expected to bring renewed attention to one of Delta State’s longest-running labour disputes, placing fresh responsibility on all parties to pursue dialogue and a resolution that safeguards industrial harmony and protects the stability of the state’s education sector.