Staff strike: FCE Gombe invokes ‘no work no pay’ policy

The management of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Gombe has invoked ‘no work no pay’ policy on the academic staff now on an indefinite strike.

The FCE (T) Gombe chapter of the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) had last week started the strike to push their demands for unpaid allowances.

The ‘no work no pay’ directive which was contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Registrar, Establishment and Council of the college, Ibrahim Shehu, said the college had no option but to apply the policy in line with a directive of the Federal Government.

The deputy registrar said the strike was untimely as students were about to start their second semester examination.

Recounting the genesis of the strike, Shehu said, “Precisely on April 19, the union approached the management with some demands which included the issue of salary shortfalls from February to date, outstanding payment of Peculiar Academic Allowance (PAA) arrears and inclusion of same in their monthly salaries. The college paid one month PPA and 25 per cent of the Conference Attendance Allowance (CAA). It was agreed that when the Federal Government releases the funds for 2015 promotion arrears and salary shortfalls, these would be paid without delay,” the statement said.

In a reaction, the Chairman of the COEASU, Hamza Adamu Soye, told Daily Trust,

“We are still on strike. This kind of circular was rejected by the national union years ago. Therefore, this circular is not binding on us and we are not going back to work unless these issued are resolved.”

On a news report that the lecturers demanded the sack of the provost and the bursar, the COEASU chairman said the matter was never discussed at any time during the COEASU congress.

“There was no time at the congress that we demanded the sack of the provost and bursar. The story is mischievous,” Adamu Soye said.