The Tutorial Workers Union of Universities (ASUU) has dismissed the Federal Authorities’s last-minute attraction to droop its proposed warning strike, describing it as “too little, too late.”
Talking on Channels Tv’s breakfast present, ‘The Morning Temporary’, on Thursday, ASUU President, Dr. Chris Piwuna, criticised the federal government’s gradual response to the union’s long-standing calls for, saying officers solely reached out two working days earlier than the strike ultimatum expires.
“The issue we’ve got with this authorities and this Ministry of Schooling is that they’re gradual in responding to our calls for,” Piwuna stated.
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“We went for a gathering in Sokoto, and at the moment we had been about to embark on a strike motion. They gave us three weeks, we accepted the three weeks, however we by no means heard a phrase from them till the three weeks elapsed, not a phrase from them. Nothing, till we threatened motion.”
Piwuna stated the federal government’s attraction got here on the “eleventh hour” and didn’t display seriousness in addressing the problems raised by the union.
“Yesterday, they appealed to us to not embark on motion. Our 2009 settlement which remains to be being renegotiated after eight years stays undone. We now have not concluded on it, and two working days earlier than a strike motion, you come to attraction to us. I believe the attraction has come somewhat too late,” he added.
Recall that ASUU had on September 29 issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Authorities over what it described as neglect of the college system and disrespect for lecturers’ welfare. The ultimatum expires on Sunday, after which the union says it can embark on a warning strike until the federal government takes “substantial motion.”
“Their ultimatum expires on Sunday, and after that, there can be a warning strike until one thing substantial comes out from the federal government. So, within the subsequent 48 hours, we anticipate to obtain one thing substantial,” Piwuna stated.
“Then we will return to our members and ask, ‘Do you assume that is ample for us to carry on?’ and we are going to do what our members ask us to do.”
In August, ASUU members throughout federal and state universities held campus rallies to attract consideration to what they termed the federal government’s persistent neglect of the training sector. Regardless of the demonstrations, the union stated there was no significant engagement from both the federal or state governments.
“What is obvious for now’s that each the federal and state governments have a robust behavior of paying little or no consideration to the training sector typically and the welfare of college lecturers specifically,” ASUU acknowledged in a latest communiqué.
In the meantime, the Federal Authorities on Wednesday urged the union to shelve its deliberate strike, assuring that it stays dedicated to addressing all excellent points.
Talking at a press convention in Abuja, the Minister of Schooling, Dr. Tunji Alausa, stated progress was being made by the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Authorities Tertiary Establishments Expanded Negotiation Committee, which was lately reconstituted to fast-track talks with each tutorial and non-academic unions.
“The Federal Authorities is already wanting into the calls for of the Union, and progress is being made within the ongoing negotiations,” Alausa stated.
“President Bola Tinubu has given clear directives that every one efforts should be made to keep away from one other disruption within the nation’s tertiary establishments.”
Regardless of the peace of mind, ASUU insisted that concrete motion, not guarantees, will decide its subsequent steps.
