The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ,Chris Piwuna, on Tursday said the Federal Government’s appeal asking the union to suspend its proposed warning strike came a little too late.
Piwuna who stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief, on Thursday, blamed the government for its slow response to their demands, lamenting that the government waited until just two working days before the strike to make the appeal.
“The problem we have with this government and this Ministry of Education is that they are slow in responding to our demands,” “We went for a meeting in Sokoto, and at that time we were about to embark on a strike action. They gave us three weeks, we accepted the three weeks, but we never heard a word from them until the three weeks elapsed — not a word from them, courtesy to even say, ‘Oh gentlemen, we think we are running short, three weeks is around the corner, we are unable to meet with you on so-and-so date.’ Nothing, until we threatened action.
“Yesterday, they appealed to us not to embark on action. Our 2009 agreement — which is still being renegotiated after eight years — remains undone. We have not concluded on it, and two working days before a strike action, you come to appeal to us. I think the appeal has come a little too late.”
However, ASUU insisted that the union would proceed with its planned industrial action at the expiration of its ultimatum on Sunday unless the government takes urgent steps to address its demands.
“Their ultimatum expires on Sunday, and after that, there will be a warning strike unless something substantial comes out from the government. So, in the next 48 hours, we expect to receive something substantial from the government.
“Then, we can go back to our members and ask, ‘Do you think this is sufficient for us to hold on?’ and we will do what our members ask us to do.” Piwuna said.
ASUU had directed its branches to prepare for a two-week warning strike expected to begin on October 13.
The latest standoff between ASUU and the Federal Government comes despite ongoing negotiations aimed at averting another round of industrial action in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed in Abuja that the government had entered the final phase of talks with ASUU and other unions to resolve lingering disputes over welfare, funding, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
