University Non-Academic Staff holds emergency meeting Tuesday, may call off strike

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The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated institutions is set to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

The ABUSITES gathered that the union may decide to call off its ongoing strike, depending on the outcome of the meeting.

University Non-Academic Staff holds emergency meeting

Recall that following the declaration of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, other unions, such as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and NASU, had declared strikes.

The unions had insisted on the payment of minimum wage arrears owed since 2017, among other demands,

The Federal Government, through the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, engaged with ASUU, NASU, SSANU, and other tertiary institution-based unions in a tripartite meeting.

However, a circular shared with our correspondent on Thursday by concerned parties within the NASU NEC noted that the union would hold an emergency meeting.

“I have been directed to invite all branch chairmen to an emergency meeting for a briefing, deliberation and to make appropriate decisions on the outcome of the two meetings held with the honorable Minister of Labour and Employment on Thursday 5th May, 2022 and the tripartite meeting chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President on Thursday, 12th May, 2022.

“The meeting will be held as follows: Tuesday, 24th May, 2022 at 11am.”

An official of the union noted that the union might call off its strike depending on the outcome of the meeting.

“It depends on the outcome. If all the unions vote in favour of calling off the strike, then it will be called off,” the official, who spoke anonymously, said.

Minimum wage not part of our demands – ASUU

Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday noted that the payment of minimum wage arrears was not part of its demands from the Federal Government.

The Abusites had earlier reported that the government had begun the payment of the minimum wage arrears it owed lecturers in the universities and polytechnics since 2017.

In a statement signed by Dele Ashiru the Chairman, ASUU-UNILAG, the union acknowledges the receipt of the “payment of the long-overdue arrears of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage.” But reminded members that this is not one of the core demands upon which the ongoing strike action is premised.

The state reads, “The leadership of our Branch has been inundated with calls concerning the recent payment of the long-overdue arrears of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage. Our members are reminded that this is not one of the core demands upon which the ongoing strike action is premised.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the demands of our Union are; the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, abrogation of the fraudulent and corrupt IPPIS scheme and the deployment of UTAS, payment of promotion arrests, the proliferation of state universities, and governance issues amongst others.

“While this unsolicited payment is welcomed by our Union, our members should please conserve the funds and spend them wisely to energize our struggle until all our demands are satisfactorily met.”

He commends the resolve and sacrifice of members in enthroning a globally competitive University system.

Labour institute wades into FG, ASUU stand-off

Meanwhile, the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) has commenced meeting with stakeholders to end various union strike that has paralyzed academic activities in public universities in the country.

The stakeholders according to the institute include the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ministries of Education and Labour as well as students.

Already, the institute said it had met with ASUU, and had gone through the list of the union’s demands.

“We are including the students in the intervention as they have taken to the roads. This is worrisome,” the institute said.

Director-General of MINILS Comrade Issa Aremu told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital on the sidelines of the commencement of the institute’s 40th anniversary.
The grand finale of the anniversary comes up next year.

Comrade Aremu added that in every dispute “there are disputes of interest and right. Out of the list of ASUU’s demands, only two are disputes of rights and they are stagnation of salaries since 2009 and refusal of the government to review agreements reached with ASUU since 2009.

“I am with ASUU on these two. We cannot deliver quality education with poorly paid workers. It is unacceptable. I came from a sector in which agreements are reviewed every year. That is the way to increase wages.

“The other demands of poor funding and payment system are disputes of interest. ASUU needs a different approach to all these.”

Said the former national chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC): “When ASUU tabled its demands before us, we challenged them on the payment system they are asking for. How would employees be talking about a separate payment system for themselves? “

If employees are asking for that what would be the existence of employers of labour.

“My argument is that when ASUU was not on strike no university in Nigeria is ranked among the top 100 in the world. And I went to a university that was among the best in the world. Indeed, I am a product of the university that worked.”


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Chila Andrew Aondofa

Founder/Team lead at TheAbusite.com | Abusite | Entrepreneur | Activist | Humanitarian | All Inquiries to info@theabusites.com. SMS/WhatsApp +2349015751816

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