University workers strike continues as meeting with govt deadlocked

Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)

A meeting between the federal government and striking university workers on Tuesday ended without an agreement.

The non-teaching staff embarked on the strike to protest the sharing of the ‘earned allowance’ recently released to universities.

The meeting which held in Abuja was called to review government’s offer on earned allowances and other demands of the three unions with a view to call off the strike.

The unions – Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU , and National Association of Academic Technologists , NAAT – commenced an indefinite strike on December 4, accusing the government of violating an earlier agreement on the sharing pattern of earned allowances recently disbursed by it.

Some of the executives of the non-teaching staff while interacting with PREMIUM TIMES said the meeting was ‘deadlocked’. They said the strike will continue until federal government meets the demand of the union.

Similarly, Abdussobur Salaam, SSANU public relations officer, said the nationwide strike continues

“Our branch leaders have been informed that the strike continues and no stone will be left unturned to ensure full compliance of the strike directive,” he said.

He said the federal government acknowledged the legitimacy of the unions’ grievances and has assured the three unions that efforts are ongoing to correct the unfortunate situation.

The commencement of the strike led to inactivity and disruption of services at many federal universities.

The N23 billion earned allowances was released to the universities in fulfilment of one of the resolutions reached to address the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

But the three non-teaching unions rejected the prescribed sharing ratio of 11:89 percent between them and ASUU respectively which they said was in favour of the lecturers.