Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Non-Academic Staff Unions in the universities have given the federal government a 14-Day Ultimatum to address their grievances over Earned Allowances and sacked workers of Staff Schools or they risk shutting down the universities.
The non-teaching staff under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Educational Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), have directed all the branches to resume nationwide protest in all the universities from Tuesday August 6, 2019.
The two unions in a circular to all the branches after the JAC meeting on Thursday, in Abuja, said that at the expiration of the 14-days ultimatum, if the federal government failed to address all their grievances, they would be left with no other option than withdrawing their services and shutting down the universities.
In the circular to all their branches sighted by our correspondent, with the title ‘Notice of Industrial Action’, which was signed by the Chairman of JAC and President of SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke and the General Secretary of NASU, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, the two unions lamented the non-challant attitude of the federal government towards addressing their grievances and obeying court judgment.
The circular read, “This is to inform you that the Joint Action Committee, JAC of NASU and SSANU met today, Thursday 1st August, 2019, to consider the issues which led to the Nationwide protest in our various branches, viz, Payment of Earned Allowances, University Staff Schools matter, Renegotiation of 2009 FGN/Unions Agreement among others.
“After extensive deliberations, JAC further observed that:
“No date has been rescheduled by the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Ahmed Lawan for the meeting with the leadership of JAC national.
“The meeting earlier scheduled by the Federal Ministry of Education with the leadership of JAC national has been rescheduled for Wednesday, August 7, 2019 with no reason(s) stated.
“From the foregoing, JAC national has resolved as follows. That a 14-Day ultimatum of Industrial action be given to the Federal Government of Nigeria to address the pending issues with effect from Monday, 5th August, 2019. During the period of the ultimatum, all branches are hereby directed to carry out peaceful protest on Tuesday, 6th August, 2019 and Thursday, 15th August, 2019 respectively.
“At the expiration of the 14-days ultimatum, Sunday 18th August 2019, without any positive response from the Federal Government of Nigeria, members shall proceed on a five-day warning strike in all branches from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd August, 2019, inclusive.
“You are therefore directed to properly mobilise our members for this action. All defaulting branches shall be sanctioned accordingly.”
The two unions had on July 12 directed members to embark on peaceful protest in their various branches to draw the attention of government over some unresolved matters.
According to a communique issued at the end of the JAC,” The meeting in Session rejected the sharing formula adopted by the Federal Ministry of Education in the allocation of the last tranche of N25 Billion which allocated 80% to ASUU and a paltry 20% to the Non- Teaching unions.
