Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) leaders have stated that their members are not beggars and that the government’s wage freeze will not force them to call off their strike, Charmingpro reports.
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The academic union has been on strike since February 14 due to the Federal government’s failure to meet their demands. Following the expiration of their one-month warning strike in February, the union announced another eight-week strike before launching their indefinite strike.
The Federal Government imposed No-Work-No-Pay as a result of the ongoing strike. Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, stated that the directive was in accordance with Section 43 of the Labour Law.
In a statement issued on Friday, June 17, ASUU President Prof Emmanuel Osodeke praised members of the union for not backing down from the strike despite the Federal government’s no work, no pay policy.
“As the struggle continues, our members are commended for their dedication and tenacity in the patriotic struggle for the survival of our country’s university system.”
Our members are especially commended for remaining loyal to the union despite the hardships imposed on our families as a result of the wage freeze. They have made it abundantly clear that we are not beggars, and as a result, hunger is an ineffective tool for breaking our resolve.
Our tenacity has compelled the government to sit down and negotiate with us. We met with the Federal Government team five times and the Minister of Education twice. The renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement is going well and has reached a critical stage.
However, we must maintain our focus until the battle is over. For the third time, UTAS (University Transparency and Accountability Solution) has been tested. NITDA (National Information Technology Development Agency) has tested UTAS and UPS so far, and will begin testing IPPIS next week. The antics of some government officials in this regard have not deterred us.
We are on the verge of victory. Let us remain committed to the union. A united people can never be defeated.”