ERC COMMENDS ASUU’S REJECTION OF TINUBU’S TISSF

WE SUPPORT THE CALL OF ASUU FOR IMPROVED WELFARE AND PROPER FUNDING

TINUBU/APC GOVERNMENT MUST IMPLEMENT AGREEMENTS WITH ASUU AND OTHER EDUCATION WORKERS UNIONS NOW!

The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) welcomes the principled decision of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reject the newly introduced and dubious Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF). The decision to reject the TISSF was agreed at the last National Executive Committee meeting of ASUU and communicated at a press briefing held on Friday. August 22. The introduction of the TISSF is another effort by the Tinubu administration to further plunge the education sector into crisis. Already, the students’ loan scheme, another loan scheme marching to the same drum as the TSSIF, has entrapped the future of many students in debt, while government underfund public education and the authorities of tertiary institutions outrageously jack up fees. The TSSIF is equally an attempt to turn education workers into debtors. If this is not opposed, the education sector would become a ‘debt sector’, with both students and education workers plunged into lifelong debts. We urge all unions of tertiary institutions to reject this loan scheme.

For us in the ERC, the TISSF is a retrogressive policy dubiously dressed up as being progressive; it is worse than tokenism. In the end, it gives nothing other than debts to workers. The TSSIF, just like the Students’ loan scheme, is an attempt by the government to evade its responsibility. Today, virtually all staff unions have long-standing agreements that have not been met by the government. All the agreements on the need to improve the welfare conditions of staff of tertiary institutions have been thrown into the dustbin by the government. This clearly shows that the driving motive behind the TSSIF is an attempt to completely neglect the welfare condition of education workers. This is why we align ourselves with the call by ASUU for improved welfare of its members and proper funding for public university education. Sadly, a government paying peanuts to workers and eroding the purchasing power of working people in general with its anti-poor policies has no qualms proposing an increase to the already outrageous salaries of political office holders.

The ERC calls on the Tinubu/APC government to immediately meet all the demands of ASUU and other unions, including implementation of various agreements, in order to avert strike action in public tertiary education. The demands of ASUU, for instance, are legitimate. Unfortunately, instead of meeting these demands, the government has continued to employ delaying tactics. Already, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has also issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government. This is a clear reflection of the attitude of the Tinubu government to public education.

We of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) call for a united struggle of all staff unions of tertiary institutions to call on the government to put an end to the dubious Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), and demand that it be replaced with a better pay package for education workers. This must also include a demands for significant improvement in the living and working conditions of staff as well as adequate funding of public education by the government at all levels. Additionally, tertiary institutions must be democratically run and managed through the active participation of students and staff through elected representatives from their unions.

Ogunjimi Isaac

Deputy National Coordinator.

Adaramoye Michael Lenin

National Mobilization Officer

Email: [email protected]