The earlier conciliatory meeting between Federal Government and striking non-academic staff unions of federal universities scheduled for Monday has been postponed.
The leadership of the three unions namely: Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU); Non Academic Staff Unions (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) under the aegis of Joint Action Committee (JAC) in Abuja, issued a notice to embark on indefinite and total strike as from Monday, 11th September, 2017.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the new date for the negotiation was shifted to Thursday, 14th September, 2017.
The unions, according to Samuel Olowookere, Deputy Director (Press), have agreed to attend the conciliatory meeting scheduled for Thursday, by 12 noon at the Minister’s conference room.
When contacted, the unions under the Joint Action Committee, alleged that there was no communication on the scheduled meeting slated for Monday, 10th September, 2017.
Samson Ugwoke, SSANU President who spoke on behalf of the unions, explained that the current labour crisis in the nation’s universities results from breach of implementation of FGN/University Non Teaching Staff Unions Agreements of 2009 and a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the parties in January 2017.
According to the Joint Action Committee, some of the contentious issues include: non-payment of earned allowances to non teaching members of staff in universities and inter-university centres; usurpation of non teaching staff functions by their teaching staff counterparts, thereby distracting from their (teaching staff) primary assignment of teaching and research.
Implementation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for Technologists; improvement of universities funding in line with UNESCO standards; review of governnacre system in universities; stemming the tide of corruption in the university system, registration of NUPEMCO as well as payment of shortfalls being owed members.
