There are fears that the nation’s university workers under the umbrella of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are preparing for another confrontation with the federal government over issues related to members’ welfare, working conditions, and unfulfilled promises by President Bola Tinubu.
ASUU has expressed disappointment over President Tinubu’s failure to fulfill promises, including the release of their withheld eight months’ salaries resulting from the 2022 industrial action, the six-month N35,000 wage award, and upward salary review.
The union is now saying it is tired of the federal government’s unfaithfulness to promises made to the union, lamenting that it has yet to implement all its agreements with the organized labor, particularly ASUU, since the administration came in.
Despite Tinubu’s assurance and promise that his administration would take all necessary actions to ensure universities do not embark on strike again, the current administration has taken no significant visible action to address the grievances by ASUU.
ASUU is conducting nationwide consultations with members over the non-implementation of agreements by the federal government.
The union highlighted that university staff are yet to be removed from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as directed by the President.
ASUU had called on the government to abolish IPPIS and embrace its own creation, the University Transparency Account System (UTAS).
The union also mentioned the government’s failure to fully implement a new wage award of N35,000 and an upward salary review of 35% for tertiary institution workers, both announced in 2023.
ASUU’s National President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, stated that the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) is conducting consultations to decide on the next line of action after the NEC meeting later this month.
Comrade Nobert Oyibo Eze, ASUU UNN branch chairman, lamented the hardship faced by union members due to withheld salaries and inadequate pay, criticizing the government’s failure to fulfill promises made during election campaigns.
Eze highlighted the disparity between salaries and living costs, and expressed concern over the government’s handling of economic reforms.
ASUU is set to decide on its next steps after the NEC meeting, with possible implications for industrial action.
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