The Federal Government is holding another reconciliation meeting with officials of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Abuja.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the meeting which was earlier scheduled for 11:00 am today (Thursday), has just begun.
The adjusted time was to afford some key players expected at the meeting a little break, following a similar meeting with the National Association of Resident Doctors, which ended this morning.
The Minister assured the striking lecturers that the meeting will treat areas of mistrust between the workers and the Federal Government so that the strike can be called off.
In his response, the ASUU president expressed optimism that the industrial action would be called off as soon as the government shows its commitment to addressing the concerns raised.
ASUU has been on strike since August 14, over unpaid arrears and demands for improved infrastructure in the universities.
A reconciliation meeting with the Federal Government August 17 had failed to resolve the dispute, but fresh undisclosed offers were made to the lecturers.
Another reconciliation meeting held on August 29 also ended in deadlock, as ASUU insisted on seeing the government act on their demands.
The third meeting, however, comes a day after the non-teaching staff unions of Nigerian government universities resolved to embark on an indefinite strike.
They are demanding the immediate payment of earned allowances, as well as a review of the universities governance system.
Rising from a Joint Action Committee meeting of non-teaching unions in Abuja, the leadership directed their members to down tools with effect from Monday, September 11.
The meeting was attended by members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
CHANNELS TV
