The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has notified the Federal Government of its plan to start a nationwide strike, giving a 21-day notice.
The National Executive Council of ASUU confirmed this to journalists in Abuja on Monday. The notice was issued after the NEC meeting at the University of Ibadan, and a copy will be sent to the Federal Ministries of Labour and Education.
“It is not an ultimatum but a strike notice. We are giving them 21 days’ notice, after which we shall embark on strike. Our aim for putting out the notice is that it is a requirement under labour laws, so we are trying to ensure that all our actions are done according to the law,” PUNCH quoted a source.
ASUU had previously threatened to strike due to the non-implementation of agreements with the federal government. On June 26, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, invited the union to a meeting to discuss the ongoing issues affecting universities and prevent the planned strike.
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the national president of ASUU, who spoke on the outcome of the meeting, said that the agreements with the Federal Government remain unfulfilled.
“At the meeting called by the Minister of Education, we agreed that after two weeks, we will meet to see the progress the government has made. We will also see what we will do next if the government fail to implement the agreements reached,” he said.
Osodeke highlighted several demands, including the non-implementation of the 2009 renegotiated agreements, which have been unresolved for over six years. He also pointed out that academic allowances for members have been accumulating for the same period without action.
Regarding the revitalisation fund, Osodeke noted that the Needs Assessment Report had proposed raising N200 billion annually for five years, but only one payment has been made since 2013.
“Since 2013, only one has been paid. We need revitalisation funds to upgrade our universities to standard so that we can have students and lecturers from outside the country,” he said.
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