The federal government has been accused of lying by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on an agreement being reached on strike suspension date.
ASUU's National
President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi who countered the Minister of Labour and
Employment, Dr Chris Ngige on claim of the union promising to resume on
December 9, 2020, stated that there is nothing in the government offer of
November 27, 2020 to suggest that conclusion.
Ogunyemi reiterated
that there will be no need for strikes if government implemented the agreement
they reached, and further averred that the principal officers and trustees who
constituted the core of representatives of ASUU at negotiation meetings with
government, were not constitutionally empowered to suspend any strike action.
He said;
“ASUU leadership did not reach any
understanding with government to suspend the strike on December 9, 2020, and
there is nothing in the government offer of November 27, 2020 to suggest that
conclusion as allegedly claimed by the Minister of Labour and Employment.
“At our last meeting
in the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment on November 27, 2020,
the ASUU leadership promised to faithfully present the latest government offer
to its members through the established tradition.
“The latest offer by
government makes proposals on nearly all items of demand by the union with
timelines. Among others, the document which was signed by the Hon. Minister of
Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, contains proposals on inauguration
of the reconstituted FGN-ASUU Renegotiation Committee (1st December, 2020);
release of details about Visitation Panels (1st December, 2020); working on the
actualisation of the release of the withheld salaries of ASUU members
(Wednesday, December 9, 2020).
“Clause 9 on the document
reads, ‘Based on these conclusions reached on items 1-8, ASUU’s leadership will
consult its organs with a view to suspending the ongoing strike.
“Whatever comes out of
an engagement with agents of the government is an offer which must be taken back
to the branches through the various organs of the union. Views and perspectives
on offers by governments are aggregated and presented to government agents as
counter-offers.
“This trade union
strategy of offer and counter-offer is continually deployed until the National
Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU – consisting of all recognised chairpersons –
finally approves what it considers an acceptable offer from the government. It
is only then that any strike action by ASUU can be suspended.
“It was a needless
crisis in the first place. It happened because government has consistently
failed to faithfully implement the agreements it freely signed with the union.
“ASUU members, as
stakeholders in the Nigerian university system, are equally worried and
embarrassed that those in position of authority, over the years, displayed
seeming indifference to the rot and decay in Nigeria’s public universities.
“We think it is not
too late to do a rethink; we believe if there is the will, there will be a
way."
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