Ruth Semilore
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The Academic Staff Union of Universities has joined the ongoing strike by the organised labour comprising Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.
This is coming after the Federal Government failed to meet the unions’ minimum wage demand.
In a statement addressed to the branch chairpersons and zonal coordinators of ASUU on Monday, the association’s President, Emmanuel Osodeke, directed lecturers in universities across the country to join the strike as an affiliate of the congress.
The statement read, “The NLC has declared an indefinite strike action beginning from Monday, 3rd June 2024, as a result of the failure of Government to conclude the renegotiation of minimum wage for Nigerian workers and reversal of hike in electricity tariff.
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“Our branches are hereby enjoined to join in the strike action as an affiliate member of Congress.
“Consequently, branch chairpersons are to mobilise all members to participate in the strike action. Yours in the struggle.”
Recall that ASUU had been contemplating a strike action after decrying the failure of FG to appoint Governing Councils for Federal Universities.
The union also faulted what it described as the nonchalant attitude of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to matters about academics in Nigerian Federal Universities.
READ ALSO;We‘re fighting for a living and not starvation wage for workers – Organised Labour tells NASS
The body, during a press briefing at the University of Abuja, also faulted the 35 per cent salary increment for professors and the 25 per cent salary increment for other academics in the university system.
The body said it saw the increment as a wage award that the government could withdraw at any time.
It was reported that the National Universities Commission announced the dissolution of the governing councils of all federal universities and boards of other agencies and parastatals in the country on June 22, 2023.
The NUC directive was based on a similar order by President Bola Tinubu three days earlier to dissolve the boards of all government parastatals, agencies, and companies.
Ahead of this, the body has decided to join the strike as an affiliate of NLC and might continue even after FG resolves the minimum wage issue with the striking unions.
