FEAR AS ASUU DECIDES TO CLOSE UNIVERSITIES

The Academic Staff Union of Staff Universities ASUU, has resumed its eight-month industrial strike less than one month after it was put on hold.

According to information obtained by MON DIARIES, the ASUU National Executive Council is already scheduled to meet on Monday (tomorrow) to discuss whether or not to call another strike.

The meeting, which is scheduled to take place on the University of Abuja campus, will be held shortly after the union's members got a pay cut in October, a few weeks after the long-running industrial action was put on hold.

MON DIARIES recounts that ASUU closed both State and Federal government-owned colleges on February 14, 2023, in protest of earlier agreements that the government had yet to put into effect.

Following what Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labor and Employment, claimed as, "failed negotiations" 

brought the lecturers on strike to the National Industrial Court.

On September 21, the court issued an order requiring ASUU to end its strike and return to work right away.

ASUU quickly filed an appeal of the decision, but the Appeal Court likewise issued a similar ruling, directing the teachers on strike to resume their academic duties as specified in the earlier decision.

Finally, the strike was called off on October 14, 2022.

In an effort to get the union back to work, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari committed to uphold its No Work, No Pay policy during the strike.

However, after Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, intervened, it was reported that the FG had agreed to drop the policy and make good on the arrears.

However, earlier in the week, lecturers received their October half-salaries, a fact that could trigger another labor dispute between the FG and the union.

Remember that on Friday, the University of Jos (UNIJOS) chapter of ASUU began a new "strike" in protest of the half-pay given to its members for the month of October.

Nothing, according to a member of the NEC who talked to the media under the condition of anonymity and emphasized that their former agreement had been broken, would prevent the union from going on another strike.

He said, "We are meeting on Monday to decide on the Federal Government's move. I don't think there will be anything that can stop the union from going on fresh strike. Agreement is agreement."

Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, the president of ASUU, confirmed the NEC meeting but would not provide the date.

When asked if the union intended to go on another strike, Professor Osodeke responded, "we have procedures, we will meet soon and whatever is the outcome, we will let you know."