NASU stages protest over retirement age, salary scale

Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) in Kano State staged a protest at the State’s House of Assembly on Tuesday.

Issues in contention were retirement age and special salary scale.

Addressing newsmen during the protest, Auwal Yakasai, the NASU Chairman in Kano said they were at the Assembly to seek the lawmakers support and intervention.

He said that: “in October 2020, President Muhammad Buhari, through the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, announced incentives  for teachers in public basic and secondary schools in Nigeria.

“This includes the extension of the retirement age of teachers to 65 years, and the years of service to 40 years from 35 years, as well as a Special Salary scale and enhanced allowance.

“The Federal Executive Council at its meeting in January 2021 gave approval to the incentives.

“The minister of education announced at a news conference that a Bill entitled: ‘harmonised retirement age for teachers’, would be transmitted to the National Assembly in order to be enacted into law.

“Unfortunately, the non-teaching personnel were excluded from this gesture of government.

“We wish to remind the government that teachers are not the only workers in schools. Teachers work with a diverse range of non-teaching professionals and support personnel in order to achieve set goals.’’

According to him, the non-teaching personnel in the basic and post-primary schools possess requisite certificates and complemented the teaching personnel, therefore, their interest should be accommodated by the government in the on-going reform.

Yakasai said the Federal government should put an end to all discriminatory industrial relations practices against the non-teaching staff in primary and post- primary schools system.

He added that: “the Federal Government should include the non-teaching staff in the approved special teachers’ pension scheme to guarantee better welfare for them in retirement.

“The federal and state governments should, as a matter of deliberate policy, do everything possible to motivate all workers in the education sector, irrespective of their profession and job description.

“The government should put in place training programmes for non-teaching professional staff with a view to enhancing productivity.

“And lastly, the Federal Government should make provisions for loan facilities, such as agriculture, housing, cars, motorcycles among other things to support non-teaching staff earnings and enhance their welfare.’’