Barely a month after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called off its 9month long strike, other unions in the education sector, precisely NASU & SSANU are set to embark on a 3day Protest incited by the refusal of the Federal government to implement certain agreements made by both sides, which might eventually lead to a strike if taken with levity by the Federal Government.
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) have threatened to embark on the three-day protest starting from January the 12th, 2021.
This was contained in a circular jointly issued by both unions on Sunday the 10th of January, 2021 in Abuja, stating that the planned strike was to protest the non-implementation of an agreement reached with the Federal Government.
Read also: NUC directs universities to resume academic activities on January 18.
With the endorsement of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), the circular was issued to all branch chairmen of the unions in the universities and Inter-university centres.
The circular was jointly signed by the General Secretary of NASU, Mr Peters Adeyemi and president of SSANU, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim.
Mr. Adeyemi said that at a JAC meeting held on January the 8th, 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was earlier reached and signed with the Federal Government on October the 20th, 2020, was reviewed.
He listed the agitations of the unions, some of which are inconsistencies in the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information Systems (IPPIS) payment, non-payment of Earned Allowances (EA), and non-payment of arrears of minimum wage.
He also made mention of the delay in the renegotiation of the Federal Government, NASU and SSANU negotiation of 2009, as part of the agitations.
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According to him, other demands are the non-payment of retirement benefits of retired members, teaching staff usurping headships of non-teaching units in clear violation of conditions of service and establishment procedures.
He also denounced as harmful, the neglect and poor funding of state universities and the non-constitution of visitation panels for universities.
He added that in view of this development, the JAC, therefore, directed that a general meeting of its committees in all branches of universities and Inter-university centres be mandatorily held on January the 11th, 2021.
His speech reads;
“The meeting is to sensitise members on the issues, as contained in the MoU.
“That a three-day protest should hold from Tuesday, January 12th to Thursday, January 14th, at each branch from 8 a.m to 4 p.m each day,”
Meanwhile, Inside OAU media earlier reported that OAU senate set to decide resumption date on January 19th.
As stated by him, all state, zonal and national officers of JAC shall monitor the three-day protest, to ensure strict compliance by branches.
“Every branch should ensure that all members participate fully in the protests, while all COVID- 19 protocols are to be complied with.
“As the branch protests mark the beginning of a series of industrial actions to be undertaken by JAC, you are to await further directives immediately after the three- day protest”, he said.
In addition, he said that every branch must comply and strictly adhere to the directives as mentioned above.
Source: Vanguardngr
