Non teaching staff of Nigerian Universities under the auspices of Joint Action Committee is to embark on an indefinite strike action with effect from Monday, September 11 to press home their demand for the implementation of the 2009 agreement entered into with the unions by the federal government.
The unions made up of the National Association of Academic Technologists, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) said the government was taking the non teaching staff of universities for granted.
The unions said they have waited for eight years for the government to implement the agreement it freely entered into with them.
Speaking at a joint Press Conference in Abuja, President of SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugokwe said eight years after the agreement, government t has not been responsive to the demands of the unions, pointing out that no action appear to have been taken on any of the issues which he said has been implemented in breach.
The demand of the three University based non teaching staff unions include:
The payment of Earned Allowances to our members, a review of the governance system in our universities, improved funding in line with UNESCO recommendations, provisions of infrastructures in universities and payment of salary shortfall being owed members.
Other demand include implementation of the National Industrial Court judgement on University staff schools, registration of NUPEMCO, implementation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for Technologists, improvement of teaching and learning facilities in the universities, teaming the tide of corruption in the university system, showing more commitment and seriousness in the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/University unions agreement and ensuring the headship of non teaching units by non teaching staff employed for the purpose of the units.
Ugokwe said that during the strike, there will be no provisions of services, no matter how skeletal. Concessions shall not be granted while all our members are to stay at home till further notice unless as directed by JAC through their respective Presidents.
According to him, the unions have engaged in various consultations and dialogues with government on the issues stake and have written several letters and embarked on several protest to no avail, pointing out that several representations made by the unions which have been ignored by the government.
According to him, rather than address the demands of the union as contained in the agreement, universities have continued to deteriorate, while poor governance system has become the order of the day and has brought the universities to their knees.
He alleged that corruption has taken its toll on the university system, while infrastructure and facilities are nothing to write home about, adding that while the unions supports government efforts at fighting corruption, they believe that there is more to be done to ensure that individuals found culpable should be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Comrade Ugokwe said further that rather than obey the decision of the National Industrial Court on the funding of university staff schools, the government has kept mute despite series of communication in the issue, adding that it is an irony that the same government that promise employment to Nigerians will approve a circular that send people into the Labour market.
He said “if an agreement was signed in 2009 and now in 2017, we are still de a ding for the implementation of such agreement, does it now show that we have have been exceedingly patient? Our patient however seems to ha r ur. To an end particularly when federal government to be toeing the dangerous path of taking non teaching staff unions for granted.
“You would recall that the JAC of NAAT, NASU and SSANU directed a five day warning strike in January this year to drive home their demands. The strike was however suspended through the intervention of the Honorable Minister of Labour and Employment. Senator Chris Ngige who headed the Federal Government t team that interfaced with JAC of the threeunions. At the end, a memorandum of understanding was entered into by the two parties.
“Unfortunately, seven months after, we are still at the sorry situation we were before the MOU as the issues in contention were not addressed and government t kept a dead silence despite letters and entreaties reminding the, of their commitment to the non teaching staff unions.”
