The Education workers in Nigeria for the past years have been going on strike, from one period to another. ASUU for example led a 6-month strike last year to demand the implementation of its 2009 Collective Agreement with FG. That strike got a massive support from students and their parents across the country with rallies and other forms of protest. Only the national leadership of NANS led by Yinka Gbadebo stood with the government against the strike. That NANS leadership got shamed all through as students and youths openly and practically dissociated from it. ASUU won a concession from the FG as 200billion naira was agreed upon to be injected into the varsities every year over the next 5 years. As I write, the implementation is still on with ASUU activists kept on their toes. But most of the managements have been recalcitrant in allowing for democratization of decision making and academic freedom. This is going to be a long battle in the ivory towers. It is instructive, however that the battle would become easier once the local branches synergize with the local students’ unions in the comradeliest manner. This tells the significance of the unity of workers and youths in the fight to change our society for the better.
Polythechnics and college of education workers were also been on strike for close to a year, until recently. While ASUP was on strike for 10 m0nths since October 2013, COEASU was on strike for 8months since December 2013. The strikes, however, have only been “suspended” for three months because of the intervention of Mallam Shekarau, the new minister of education. Students and workers must brace up and continue to engage and educate in wait of the minister’s stated resolve after the 3months. We must however note that the success of the strikes so far shows that we can defeat capitalism and this system’s anti-education stance. We posit that ASUP and COEASU should use the 3 months to build political synergy with the students through mass education and solidarity.
