Another
round of strike action is looming in the nation’s Universities as
academic staff counts down to the deadline for the implementation of
agreements reached with the government which led to the conditional suspension of its indefinite strike action in September.The government had signed an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities as a result of the strike action embarked upon by the union to press the implementation of the memorandum of understanding entered into between both parties in 2013 as well as the 2009 agreement.
A timeline of October 2017 was reached between the government and the unions for the implementation of some components of the agreement, especially the payment of shortfall in salaries and Earned Academic Allowances.
But some lecturers informed The Nation that barely one week to the end of the October timeline, the government has not implemented any aspect of the agreement, even when they claimed during negotiation that implementation has commenced.
While suspending their strike action in September, ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi had said that the union was suspending its action conditionally to pave way for government to commence implementation of the agreement, stressing that the union will not hesitate to resume the action if the government fail to meet its own aspect of the agreement.
One lecturer who would not want his name in print told The Nation that “the government has not done anything. We have not heard from them and it is just one week to the end of the October deadline. I can assure you that we are warming up and there is the possibility that from November 1, we will resume the suspended action.
“They (government) told our leaders during negotiations that they have prepared everything for the implementation. They were even brandishing some papers, especially on the earned Academic Allowance. But we have not seen anything nor heard from them.
“They were also supposed to carry our verification because of those who employed workers without permission so that the issue of shortfall in salary can be addressed. Many of us have been verified, but nothing has happened. We have not been paid. They should not take us die a ride because when we resume the suspension action not are not going to listen to any discussion.
However, ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, however, declined to say whether or not the union will call out its members at the end of October if they are not satisfied with the level of implementation of the agreement.
Prof. Ogunyemi told The Nation over the telephone that members of the union will determine the next line of action based on the level of implementation of the agreement reached between the government and the unions.
He said both parties were making progress in the implementation of the memorandum of understating signed between them, adding that the union is still engaging the government and expressed the hope that the government will keep to their promise.
He said: “We are engaging them and we are making some few progress and we hope they will keep their promise. Otherwise, our members are ready to activate their action.
We are still in October, but we are on our guard.
We believe they will follow the process through and implement it fully. That is why we still engage them and we are talking. We are working with them and we hope they will continue to cooperate.
Asked whether they will embark on any Industrial action at the end of October, he said “I cannot say whether there will be any action at the end of October or not. It is what our members say that we shall do. I hope I am very clear? Our members shall determine what we shall do at the end of the deadline based on the level, of implementation”.
The government had promised to meet the demand of the unions with a promise to release of about N220 billion to the universities not later than October 2017 to fund the revitalisation of federal universities in the country and the payment of the shortfall in their salaries as well as payment of earned allowances which has accumulated.
–The Nation
