The proposed meeting that would have ended the nationwide industrial action declared by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) scheduled to hold at 12 noon today, Tuesday, 29th August, 2017 was aborted.
This was sequel to the refusal of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) National Executive Council (NEC) appear at the venue of the last negotiation: Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, located at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
Chris Ngige. Minister of Labour and Employment via a statement issued earlier in Abuja, urged the Union to “show good faith as the Federal Government had already demonstrated commitment to addressing the grievances of the Union.”
The Federal Government’s negotiating team also include: Minister of Education, Minister of Finance, Chairman National Income Salaries and Wages Commission, Executive Secretary National Universities Commission.
Likewise, Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) was expected to attend the tripartite negotiation meeting.
Recall that the Union, led by its President, ‘Biodun Ogunyemi had at the last meeting held on Thursday, 17th August, 2017, resolved to take the offer of the Federal Government back to its members and get back to the Federal Government within a week.
According to an official of the Ministry privy to the negotiation held behind close door last week, told BusinessDay that Federal Government which admitted default in the implementation of the previous agreement signed with the Union, gave the present administration’s resolve towards implementation of the agreement.
He however noted that the parties failed to reach compromise on the issue bothering on Treasury Single Account (TSA).
Efforts to reach out to the ASUU President however proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.
Details later….
