The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reacted after the Federal Government’s payment of minimum wage arrears.
ASUU insists that the Strike will still continue pending when the Federal Government will engage them in a meaningful meeting.
ASUU made this revelation via a circular released by the University of Lagos branch of the union titled, ‘Payment of minimum wage arrears’.
The union also accused the government of displaying an indifferent attitude toward its demands and agitations for a better university environment.
Osodeke, in a statement to announce the extension of the rollover strike, noted that the national executive council of the union “was disappointed that Government did not treat the matters involved with utmost urgency that they deserved during the four-week period as expected of a reasonable, responsive, and well-meaning administration”.
He said the NEC concluded that the government had failed to satisfactorily address all the issues raised in the 2020 Memorandum of Action within the four-week roll-over strike period and resolved that the strike be rolled over for another eight weeks.
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He added that the strike continues over the government’s failure to “satisfactorily” implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the Union in December 2020 on funding for revitalization of public universities (both Federal and States), renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU Agreement and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution.
Other demands of the union as listed by ASUU include Earned Academic Allowances, State Universities, promotion arrears, withheld salaries, and non-remittance of third-party deductions.
The circular read, “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 arrears, the proliferation of State Universities and governance issues amongst others.
“While our Union welcomes this unsolicited payment, our members should please conserve the funds and spend wisely so as to energize our struggle until all our demands are satisfactorily met
Our Union commends the resolve and sacrifice of our members in enthroning a University system that is globally competitive.
“United we bargain! Divided we beg! A people united can never be defeated. Solidarity forever”
TheNewsGuru.com reports that ASUU declared a 1 -month warning strike on February 14th, 2022 and extended it by 12 weeks after the expiration of its warning strike.
Recall that their polytechnic counterpart known as ASUP have also embarked on a two-week warning strike with a threat it could extend it by the first week in June if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands.