The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has disclosed that it may embark on an indefinite strike as its eight-week warning strike ends Monday, May 9, 2022.
Disclosing this on its official twitter handle on Sunday, the union said it has commenced considerations for an indefinite strike, and would make its decision public from Monday.
The union had embarked on a one-month warning strike on February 14 and later extended it by her eight weeks which will end Monday. ASUU has also resolved that it would not shift grounds until the federal government meets its demands.
Some of the demands of the union is the payment of university revitalisation funds, adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), non-payment of withheld salaries, checkoffs and promotion arrears, improved welfare for members through the renegotiation of its agreement entered with the government in 2009, among others.
Read also: ASUU yet to receive invitation from FG for negotiation – Emmanuel Osodeke
The federal government in March set up a committee to renegotiate the 2009 agreement, and gave it three months to arrive at workable terms. But the union refused to acknowledge the committee. “As far as we are concerned, we don’t know any team or have anything to do with any other team than the 2017 team and to continue from where we stopped. If the government has changed one or two persons from their team, that is their problem,” National President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke had said.
However, Chris Ngige, minister of labour, said he will meet with ASUU this week with a view to ending the strike.
“As a conciliator, I manage you people in measured steps. That is why I want to take all of you holistically and I ask for your cooperation. When I finish with you today, I will continue with ASUU next week. I have done NASU and SSANU yesterday and they were happy. I want you people to be happy as we leave here,” the minister was quoted to have said in a statement last Friday signed by Patience Onuobia, the acting head of press and public relations of the ministry.
Meanwhile, students across some states are set to stage mass protest over the lingering strike. According to fliers on social media, students in Lagos, Ilorin and Imo are set to begin peaceful protest from Monday.
