FG, SSANU, NASU fail to end contention

The Federal Government has failed to reach an understanding with the non-teaching staff in the universities under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee, JAC, as their meeting on Tuesday ended without headway.

JAC made up of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANU had threatened industrial action from February 5 should the government fail to meet their demands.

Parts of the contention include the Federal Government’s handling of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, sharing formula of the N40 billion earned academic allowances and non-payment of arrears of the new minimum wage.

Others are the non-payment of retirement benefits to former members, poor funding of universities, non-constitution of visitation panels to universities and teaching staff usurping the headship of non-teaching units, among others.

Read Also: NASU, SSANU set 5th February for indefinite strike if agreements not addressed

In a last-ditch effort to save the universities from the impending strike, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, convened a meeting in his office in Abuja. The meeting ended without any resolution of the teething issues.
The union members requested for adjournment when it became obvious that the government did not bring anything on the table to address the contentions.
One source told newsmen, “On the issue of the arrears of minimum wage, they said there is no date for payment.
” On the IPPIS, they have formed a committee among the unions to go and sit down with the IPPIS to sort out the nagging issues.
“As we discovered that there was practically nothing forthcoming from the government, we tactically asked for an adjournment so that we can go and meet our people because the issue of minimum wage arrears is one of the major issues and the IPPIS thing. If those things are not ready so what are we discussing?
“We told them we are going to meet with our people if we can get a fresh mandate to continue with the discussion.
”They requested that we should communicate back to the Government within 48 hours.”