By Cross Udo, Abuja
There are indications that the Federal Government may consider the option of proscribing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) if the public universities’ lecturers fail to call off the prolonged strike after an offer was made to it.
ThisNigeria learnt yesterday that the Federal Government has also approved an additional N100bn for the university sector as part of the understanding in the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement.
Besides, N50bn was also approved to be shared by the university-based unions as Earned Allowances.
The four university-based unions that have been agitating for the payment of earned allowances are ASUU, which calls its own Earned Academic Allowances, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
Recall that ASUU embarked on a month warning strike on February 14 and has been rolling over the strike to date, while the other three unions starting with NAAT, downed tools in March.
Among the contentious issues are the non-release of revitalization funds, earned allowances, the problem associated with the payment of salaries through the use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, and the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement.
While ASUU has insisted that its members should be paid through its preferred platform, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), the non-teaching staff especially, SSANU and NASU have designed their payment platform, the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System, U3PS.
All three platforms have been submitted to the government through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), which subjected them to integrity tests.
SSANU and NASU through its umbrella, Joint Action Committee, JAC, on Saturday signed an agreement to suspend the strike on Wednesday for two months, while ASUU has reportedly remained adamant, insisting that the government should pay its members the withheld five months’ salary as one of the conditions to suspending the six months strike.
The Federal Government has invoked the ‘no work, no pay’ policy for the striking public university workers, and the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, on Thursday, told journalists that there was no going back on its total implementation, ASUU was said to have insisted in ‘no pay, no work’.
*To approach Industrial Court
Multiple sources in the presidency and the Ministry of Education hinted that if ASUU refuses to reciprocate the Federal Government gesture by calling off the strike, the government would consider the option of prescribing the union.
One of the sources that spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “Because of the priority the President Muhammadu Buhari has paid to education, he has approved an additional N100bn for the universities and about N57bn for the polytechnics and colleges of education.
“This is part of the understanding with the unions on the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement. The government has also approved a 35 per cent increase in salary for professors and a 23.5 per cent increase for other lecturers. The government also approved N50bn for earned allowances for the striking unions.
“It will be unpatriotic on the side of ASUU not to reciprocate the government gesture and call off the strike for our children to go back to school. The government is not also unmindful of the cooperation of SSANU and NASU for being patriotic.
“It is part of the labour laws that the unions especially ASUU should apply cessation of the strike once a trade dispute is apprehended and conciliation is ongoing.
“From the available information, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment apprehended the strike on the 22nd of February, 2022 and subsequently held conciliation meeting on that day with ASUU and on March 1, whereas, the disputes with SSANU and NASU were apprehended on 3rd May by the Minister of Labour and Employment.
“Why should ASUU say that the federal government has done nothing? You should also recall that the President co-opted his Chief of Staff (Prof Ibrahim Gambari) and the Secretary to the government of the Federation (Boss Mustapha) to join in the negotiation to end the strike. Why is ASUU being recalcitrant and daring everybody?”
Expressing disappointment that ASUU has allegedly not appreciated the government efforts, the sources said that the Federal Government has many options before it which include the option of prescribing the union.
“The government has so many options if ASUU refuses to be patriotic. One of the options is the proscription of ASUU which is contained in the Trade Union Act and even in the Trade Dispute Act.
SSANU, NASU suspend strike
“The President can proactive an association whose action is inimical and constitute economic sabotage to a country. In the Trade Union Act, the President can withdraw the certificate of any organisation whose conduct is not in tandem with the terms for their registration.
“Also, Section 17 of the Trade Dispute Act permits the Minister of Labour to approach the National Industrial Court. CAP 78, laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004, to refer the matter to the National Industrial Court for adjudication to enforce the legality or otherwise of the ongoing prolonged strike by ASUU and to interpret in entirety the provision of Section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act as it applies cessation of the strike once a trade dispute is apprehended by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment and reconciliation is ongoing.”
Attempts made to confirm the option of prescribing ASUU or dragging it to the National Industrial Court if it fails to suspend the strike after the alleged government offer from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige was unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Recall that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU had on Saturday announced the suspension of the strike effective from Wednesday, 24th August 2022 for initial two months.
The suspension of the strike according to a statement issued by the JAC’s spokesman, Prince Peters Adeyemi followed the conclusion of negotiation between the two unions and the federal government team led by the Minister of Education, Adamu.
The statement explained, “The two months is to allow government implements the agreements reached. Part of the agreement is the decision of the government to set aside the sum of N50bn for the payment of earned academic and earned allowances, cogent decision on the University Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (U3PS), the release of the white paper on university visitation panel and funding of the universities.
“On the poor funding of federal institutions, the Minister said he directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure that all the schools are up-to-date on what they are supposed to do, otherwise sanctions will be visited on any institution that defaults.
“The Minister of Education also gave an assurance that no member of the unions that participated in the strike will be victimised. The Minister said President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to devout 15 per cent of the national budget to education.
“On the salary payment system, the Minister said the alternative payment systems provided by ASUU JAC of NASU and SSANU did very well. He added that the Federal Government is awaiting the report of the technical committee it set up before taking action on the matter.”
The JAC spokesman further said, “After very prolonged negotiations and dialogue between the two unions and the Federal Government led by the Minister of Education and after the meeting, the two unions decided to suspend the strike for the initial period of two months.
“When we presented the offers that the government made to our members, they think that since the majority of the issues that are in contention have been substantially addressed by the government, the strike is hereby suspended effective Wednesday, August 24.”
SSANU in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, said, “Nigerians would recall that the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU embarked on a National Industrial Action on 27th March 2022.
“The National Industrial Action was for an initial two-week period, but owing to the nature of response which we considered almost non-existent, had to be renewed for another two weeks, leading to another one month and subsequently three months to allow concrete decisions to be taken on our demands.
ASUU’s six-month salaries demand delaying negotiations, FG insist
“This strike would have been avoidable if both parties, the government and the union(s) had kept to their parts of the bargain. Unfortunately, the bane of industrial harmony in the University system has been the issue of not honouring agreements freely entered into.
“Today, (Saturday) after a series of engagements with the Honourable Minister of Education and having considered the issue that led to the strike, and having satisfied ourselves that government, this time around, has committed itself to agree to respect the agreements that have been reached at the meetings, we believe that it is only honourable that we give the government the benefit of the doubt while the needful is being done at the government’s end.
“To this end, we hereby inform you of a two months window given to the government to actualize the agreements that have been reached. The two months window is like a ceasefire and does not represent a closure on the industrial action.
“Given the above, NASU and SSANU members are hereby directed to resume duties on Wednesday, 24th August 2022.”
•NAAT to meet Thursday
Meanwhile, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) is expected to meet on Thursday to decide on whether to sign an agreement with the government to suspend the strike.
The President of NAAT, Comrade Ibeji Nwokomma, in a chat with ThisNigeria yesterday said, “We held a zoom meeting on Saturday and directed our branches to call a congress for a referendum and come for a physical NEC (National Executive Council) meeting on Thursday 25th August.
“After the meeting, we will be in a better position either to suspend the strike or to continue with it. Once the branches give the go-ahead, we will suspend the strike for three months.
“The referendum will be on the release of enabling circular for the Consolidated Salary Structure for Tertiary Institutions, CONTISS 14 and 15. The payment arrears of seven months of occupational hazard allowance for members and the payment of arrears of the minimum wage and the consequential adjustment of our members that were omitted in that payment.”
