The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said its members are not beggars and the stoppage of their salaries by the Muhammadu Buhari led federal government won’t force them to call off the ongoing strike.
The ASUU leadership also commended the university lecturers for keeping faith with the union despite the hardship imposed on their families as a result of the No Work, No Pay order.
CAMPUS GIST reports that ASUU on 14th February, 2022 commenced a one-month warning strike, followed by another eight-week strike before it blown into indefinite strike.
This followed the failure of the government to meet demands of the union. The continued industrial action led to the imposition of No Work, No Pay by the federal government.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said the directive was in compliance with Section 43 of the Labour Law.
Though some of the demands by the union are still undergoing negotiations, ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed optimism that the union was on the threshold of victory.
He however noted that the resolve of the union forced the FG to engage in negotiations.
He said, “As the struggle continues, our members are commended for their commitment and steadfastness in the patriotic struggle for the survival of the university system in our country.
“Our members are particularly applauded for keeping faith with the union in spite of the hardship imposed on our families as a result of the stoppage of salaries.
“They have made the statement loud and clear that we are not beggars and, as a result, hunger is an impotent instrument to break our resolve.
“Our cast-iron resolve has forced the government to sit down and negotiate with us. We have had five meetings with the Federal Government team and two meetings with the Minister of Education.
“The renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement is progressing smoothly and has reached an advanced stage. “However, we must remain focused to the end of this struggle. UTAS (University Transparency and Accountability Solution) has been tested for the third time.
“So far, NITDA (National Information Technology Development Agency) has tested UTAS and UPS and will start testing IPPIS next week. We are undeterred by the antics of some government officials in this respect”.
