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* Knocks COPSON over comments on collective bargaining
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Committee of Pro-chancellors of State Owned Universities in Nigeria (COPSON) to stop playing to the gallery and learn from its counterparts in federal universities who are impressing it on government to do the needful for public universities.
The union, in a release in Ibadan Thursday and signed by the Convener, ASUU Rapid Response, Prof. Ade Adejumo, entitled ‘COPSON: Stoking the Blaze of Discord, said no amount of threats will make the union stop fighting for quality education and welfare of its members.
Adejumo, in his reaction to the communique issued at the end of the meeting of COPSON where it said government should enforce no-work-no-pay policy and centrally agreed that negotiations will not be binding on state universities to obey, said COPSON needs to understand that the principle of collective bargaining is sanctioned by the law.
The ASUU boss, who knocks COPSON for saying that collectively agreed negotiations will not be binding on them, asked them to explain “why have they not insisted that policies and directives of central regulatory bodies like JAMB, NUC and NYSC are not binding on them?”
Adejumo maintained that: “ASUU is one, a thousand communiques and threats from COPSON cannot break our ranks and iron resolve to see this struggle and any other one in the future to its successful end.”
He asked the pro-chancellors to provide evidences where they have improved the salaries and welfare of their school, adding that the pro-chancellors of state universities “are always eager to run to Abuja to collect money from TETFUND which was brought into existence by ASUU, but only wonders whether some people’s consciences go on holiday when they sit down to make certain pronouncements”.
According to him, “These indeed are grave moments. Ominous signs on the horizon for our education system. The latest assault on the university system in Nigeria is captured by the communique released by the committee of pro-chancellors of state universities. The ‘fatuwah’ declared on the principle of collective bargaining by a duly registered union like ASUU for its members is quite worrisome. If we may ask, what is the function of a union if not to see to the welfare of its members?
“Why is COPSON fixated on the curious idea that centrally negotiated salaries by ASUU with government will not be binding on them when they have always been represented in such negotiations? Why have they not insisted that policies and directives of central regulatory bodies like JAMB, NUC and NYSC are not binding on them? Why is COPSON behaving like Chichidudu of Ayi Kwei Armah’s tale? For clarity, Chichidudu is a bird that hates excreta with passion, but feeds on the maggots that grow out of fecal wastes.
“As pro-chancellors of state universities, they are always eager to run to Abuja to collect money from TETFUND which was brought into existence by ASUU, but they hate the union with passion. One only wonders whether some people’s consciences go on holiday when they sit down to make certain pronouncements! If we may ask further, are the perks of office that most of these pro-chancellors are enjoying not centrally determined? How many of them have gone out of their ways to offer the staff of their universities higher emoluments than the slave wages that academics in Nigeria are presently receiving? Myriad of questions begging for answers from our almighty COPSON.
“What is expected of COPSON at this critical junction is to borrow a leaf from their colleagues at the federal universities by calling on the government to do the needful to address issues in ASUU demands rather than stoking the embers of a simmering blaze they have done here. For their information, let it be stated here that ASUU is one, a thousand communiques and threats from COPSON cannot break our ranks and iron resolve to see this struggle and any other one in the future to its successful end.”
