JUST IN: Concern as ASUU issues 14-day strike notice

JUST IN: Concern as ASUU issues 14-day strike notice

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address its demands or face a fresh industrial action.

The union said it had extended the 21-day ultimatum earlier given to the government on August 18 by another 14 days within which it expects all the lingering issues to be fully addressed.

A statement signed by ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, said, “The union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to nip the looming crisis in the bud.

“In view of the foregoing, ASUU resolved to give the Nigerian Government another 14 days, in addition to the earlier 21 days, beginning from Monday, 23rd

September 2024 during which all the lingering issues must have been concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the membership of the union.

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“The union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to nip the looming crisis in the bud.”

The union after its National Executive Council meeting held last month in Ibadan gave the 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address all the unresolved issues plaguing the public university system.

It said the issues in contention included conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021; (b) release of withheld three and a half months’ salaries due to the 2022 strike action; release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions.

Its other demands include funding for the revitalization of public universities, partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government budget, payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget; (h) proliferation of universities by federal and state governments; implementation of the reports of visitation panels to universities; (j) illegal dissolution of Governing Councils; and University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a replacement for IPPIS).

Osodeke said that the union met to review government’s response on Thursday, last week but noted with regret government’s failure to fully implement the Memoranda of Understanding/Actions (MOUs/MOAs) arising from the FGN/ASUU Agreement of 2009, particularly between 2013 and 2020.