Non-academic unions of universities insist on strike
- The Non-Academic Staff Union states that they are not aware of vice- chancellors announcing to students to resume classes
- The unions raise accusation against the government for breaching a previous agreement
- They say they will make the strike more difficult for the university community
More than one month after commencing on an indefinite strike, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) recently said it will continue the strike.
The unions on the platform of the Joint Action Commitee (JAC) also threatened to take back concessions they earlier granted, Premium Times reports.
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Samson Ugwoke, chairman of the joint committee, on Sunday, December 7, made this known in a statement he signed.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational, Associated Institutions (NASU) as well as National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) commenced an indefinite strike on Thursday, December 4.
The unions accused the government of breaching an earlier resolution on the sharing of earned allowances and non fulfillment of other agreements.
The union said universities’ managements have the right to announce resumption of activities but the union members, ”have a right to deny the University system of their services till their rights are respected and honoured.”
According to the statement, the unions said they did not know of the”antics of vice chancellors and managements of institutions to create a semblance of normalcy by announcing resumption of students and other activities.”
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“While the strike action was not targeted at any individual university management, the attitudes of many vice chancellors have shown an unprecedented immaturity and irresponsibility that makes them complicit in the ongoing strike action,” the statement read.
The statement also said the unions will now put on hold amenities which it said had made the strike action comfortable for universities.
“Drivers attached to Vice Chancellors and other principal officers should be withdrawn. All units including VC’s office, Works and Services, Health Centre, Bursary, Registry, ICT, MIS, Audit and others should be closed down and none of our members are to be found within the vicinity of their offices. Apart from the strike monitoring teams set up by the branch executives, no SSANU member should be found within the university premises,” the statement said.
“You are please directed to ensure that no Management, Dean or Head of Department coerces SSANU members to render any services. And where an attempt is made to bring people either staff or external to perform official function of our members, the attempt must be resisted with all legitimate forces at your disposal. You must also blacklist all saboteurs and renegade members of the union who seek to undermine our strike action for pecuniary gains.”
“The importance and reasons for this strike cannot be overstated. We have been taken too much for granted in a system where we are critical stakeholders and contributors to its progress.”
Abdussobur Salaam, the spokesperson of SSANU, noted that the unions have been providing fundamental facilities to the university community even during the strike.
“We feel that we are not fighting with the management and the students so we still provide electricity, water, work at the health centres since we are in charge but this act of sympathy is being taken for granted by some vice chancellors and we are withdrawing those ‘little things’ until we resolve with the government.”
“If you are embarking on a total and indefinite strike, the normal thing is to switch off electricity, water and every other thing within the union’s capacity.”
Legit.ng reported that the chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in the institution, Kola Abiola, said the lecturers have decided to suspend the strike so as to give room to the state government to find solutions to their grievances.
Reports said that the lecturers had embarked on strike due to disagreements with the state government concerning the relocation of the institution to Ipokia area of the state.
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Source: Legit.ng
