- Says ultimatum pointless without FG’s ‘strong commitment’
- ERC, NUP back NLC on proposed two-day protest
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, directed the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to resolve the lingering strike by the four university-based unions without delay and report back to him within two weeks.
Sources privy to the development told The Guardian that Buhari gave the directive after he received briefings from the Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) concerned.
The sources revealed further that Buhari also directed Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, to be part of the team that should immediately resolve the faceoff with the unions.
Recall that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had proceeded on a one-month warning strike on February 14. Thereafter, other unions withdrew their services over the alleged inability of the Federal Government to meet their demands.
The three other unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
BUT in a reaction, ASUU said the Federal Government does not need two weeks to end the industrial action.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said the union is ready to call off the strike anytime there is a “strong commitment” by the government to sign and implement the renegotiated agreement it reached with the university lecturers.
He added: “ASUU has always had serious reservations about the claim of “conciliation” by someone who has taken sides in the dispute, or by an unabashed protagonist in the crisis such as the current Minister of Labour and Employment. It is antithetical to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions (98, 151 & 154) on collective bargaining.
“It is against the principle of natural justice and the doctrine of equality for Dr Ngige, who carries himself as if he has personal scores to settle with ASUU and shoots down the union everywhere it matters, to assume the role of conciliator.”
MEANWHILE, Education Rights Campaign (ERC) hailed the decision by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to embark on a two-day national protest on July 26 and 27, 2022 to force the government to meet the demands of ASUU and related unions.
In a statement by its Deputy National Coordinator, Ogunjinmi Isaac, and National Mobilisation Officer, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, the group, yesterday, said the decision is a step in the right direction.
ERC urged the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to align with the position of the NLC and mobilise its members to jointly prosecute the two-day protest.
The body also called on students, student unions, radical student groups and civil society organisations to answer the call of the NLC by mobilising to join the protest.
Similarly, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) threw its weight behind the proposed two-day strike, pledging to mobilise its members in solidarity.
Speaking to newsmen in Awka, Anambra State, NUP Chairman (Anambra chapter), Comrade Dr Anthony Ugozor, said parents and guardians of affected students are pleased with the planned protest.
Buhari had given a marching order to Adamu on Tuesday following the directive by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to workers nationwide to embark on solidarity strike on July 26 and 27.
ASUU had commenced strike on February 14, and other unions also joined them over the alleged inability of the federal government to meet up with their demands.
Buhari gave the order after receiving briefings from the relevant government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) involved in the ongoing efforts to end the face-off with the university unions.
The president had summoned them to get more information on why the strike had persisted for too long.
After Tuesday’s briefing, the President ordered the education minister to ensure that the areas of disagreements were sorted out within two weeks and report back to him.
Buhari directed that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige must be in any of the meetings to resolve the crisis.
The sources added that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, should be part of the team to interface with the striking unions.
In attendance at the meeting were the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Ngige, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, the Chairman of National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, the Director-General Budget Office, Ben Akabueze.
Before the presidential order, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had said that it would embark on a nationwide protest on July 26 and 27 in solidarity with the trade unions in the Nigeria public universities and others.
NLC President, Mr Ayubaa Wabba said this in a circular jointly signed by Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary of the Congress on Sunday in Abuja.
The circular issued on July 15, was addressed to the Chairpersons and Secretaries of NLC State Councils.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the circular which was issued on July 15, was addressed to the Chairpersons and Secretaries of NLC State Councils.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and other trade unions in the education sector have been on strike for over five months over alleged failure of government to keep to agreement entered with the unions.
The demands of the striking workers include issues bordering on funding of universities, salaries and earned allowances of lecturers.
According to Wabba, the action is in line with the decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress on June 30.
“We have scheduled as follows the National Days of Protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigeria’s public universities fighting for quality education.
“The dates are on July 26 and 27 at all the state capitals of the federation and Abuja the Federal Capital Territory and take off point are at the NLC State Secretariats and the Labour House, Abuja.
“You are requested to immediately convene the meetings of your SAC to disseminate this information and to fully mobilise workers in the states for this very important protest for good governance, ’’ he said.
Also, in a separate statement, Wabba faulted the Federal Government’s purported rejection of the Nimi-Briggs Committee report of the university based union’s negotiations.
According to him, the alleged action is inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the ILO Convention Number 98 ratified by Nigeria and which core principle is Negotiation in Good Faith.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress is concerned about reports widely disseminated by the media both online and traditional, positing that the Federal Government may have rejected its own Nimi-Briggs Committee.
“That is on the premise of alleged disparity between the pay rise allocated to university teaching staff and the non-teaching staff.
“First, we wish to posit that the purpose for setting up the Nimi Briggs Committee was to conform with the fundamental principles of the rights of trade unions to collective bargaining as guaranteed by ILO Convention Number 98 which Nigeria has ratified.
Wabba pointed out that one of the cardinal principles of collective bargaining was the Principle of Negotiation in Good fate.
He noted that elements of the principle included conducting genuine and constructive negotiations.
Wabba however, noted that since the government set up the Nimi-briggs Committee to make recommendations on the review of the salaries of workers in Nigeria’s universities, the unions and NLC had been kept in the dark on the report of the Committee.
According to him, it is a shocker to read from the media snippets of a report of what is strictly the product of a negotiation between the Federal Government Committee and the concerned trade unions.
“Our first response is to aver that this development gravely betrays and undermines the principle of negotiation in good fate as it manifests crass disrespect by government for trade unions in Nigeria’s universities,’’ he said.
He said the Congress therefore demanded that the Federal Government should immediately conclude the ongoing negotiation with trade unions in Nigeria’s universities.
He also called on government to be prepared to commence the implementation of whatever Collective Bargaining Agreement arising from it.
“They should also immediately pay the salaries of striking university workers which had been frozen on the premise of the so-called “no work-no pay” policy, especially as recommended by the leaders of Nigeria’s two major faiths,’’ he said.
