Strikes Loom in our Universities again as FG’s Meeting with SSANU, NASU, NAAT Ends in Deadlock

Education Minister, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i

A move by stakeholders to avoid another strike by staff of the nation’s tertiary institutions has once again hit the rocks. A meeting between the Federal Government and the non-teaching staff unions in the universities to resolve the pending crisis and planned strike over the Earned Allowance and the report of the committee on NEEDS Assessment in universities ended without any meaningful agreement.
The meeting was held at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation late Friday night. The unions — Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) — have, therefore, resolved to commence a seven-day warning strike on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, president of SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, President of NAAT, Comrade Sani Suleiman and the General-Secretary of NASU, Comrade Peter Adeyemi, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, said the meeting, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, with the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqquatu Rufai, in attendance, could not reach any meaningful conclusion hence the warning strike would go ahead as planned.
On his own part, NASU general secretary said his union had invited its members to a meeting at the University of Ibadan on Tuesday to deliberate on the outcome of the meeting with the government and decide on the way forward; SSANU President declared that the union would use Monday (today) to mobilise members across the country for the commencement of strike on Tuesday. However, the NAAT President said the decision to go on strike remains, and that the union had directed its branches to hold congress meeting and embark on the strike.