As the Academic Staff Union of Universities, or ASUU, continues its strike, it appeared on Monday that Senator Chris Ngige, the minister of labour and employment, had written to Mallam Adamu Adamu, the minister of education, requesting an update on the negotiations between the leadership of the university lecturers and the ministry.
Despite the claimed government offer to the union, ASUU decided to extend the strike in the early hours of Monday.
Since February 14, public universities in Nigeria have been on strike. Concerned about unsolved issues with the federal government, ASUU issued a one-month warning strike.
The non-teaching staff also started their own strike a month after the professors withdrew their services due to several demands they felt the administration was unable to address.
The Senior Staff Union of Universities, SSANU, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, are the three non-teaching staff unions at the institution that have stopped working.
The three non-teaching staff unions’ strikes were put on hold after the government made some concessions, while ASUU’s walkout was prolonged.
The non-release of revitalization fund, non-payment of earned allowance (or earned academic allowance), renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement, release of white paper for visitation panel, non-payment of minimum wage arrears, and inconsistency caused by the use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, or IPPIS, are just a few of the contentious issues that prompted the unions to go on strike.
As a result of ASUU’s refusal to call off the strike after some of their complaints have been addressed, there have been rumours that the federal government may take them before the National Industrial Court.
The move to take ASUU to Industrial Court was not confirmed by a reliable source within the Ministry of Labour and Employment, but the source did state that the Minister of Labour, who serves as the Conciliator-in-Chief, might meet with the Minister of Education to discuss the current status of the ongoing renegotiation talks.
We learned from the source that the Minister (Ngige) wrote the Minister of Education to inquire about the progress of the ongoing talks with ASUU. The ministry will also be informed, according to the union.
The insider said, “There must be a reason why they opted to continue the strike despite the government offer to them,” when informed that ASUU has extended the strike. The union is obliged to write to the ministry and explain why they are prolonging the strike, but I’m not sure if they have given the minister of education their justifications for the action. They are also required to emulate the labour minister.
Another source claimed that it is typical for the minister in charge of negotiations, who also serves as the university instructors’ direct employer, to send a letter outlining the situation to his counterpart at the ministry of labour.
“You know that the matter was sent to Mallam Adamu to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with ASUU, that is why the Professor Nimi Briggs Renegotiation Committee was set up. If there is any breakdown, the Minister of Education should write a report on status of the negotiation to the Minister of Labour. ASUU is also expected to send a report to the Labour Minister.”
