A total shutdown of public universities is imminent as more unions have signalled their intention to join the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a work boycott.
From Monday, members of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) will commence a two-week warning strike over the Federal Government’s alleged failure to implement a 2009 agreement.
The Nation gathered on Sunday that the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) are worming up to join ASUU and NAAT.
However, the Federal Government has warned that it would not hesitate to apply a no-work, no-pay rule against any of its employees that goes on strike.
It said such persons deserved no pay in so much as they are out of their duty posts either by warning or total strike.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, issued the warning in an interview with The Nation yesterday
“Let us wait and see. Anybody who is on strike deserves no-pay and so they should not look forward to receiving salaries for periods not at work,” Ngige said.
ASUU last week rolled over its warning strike by two months.
Apparently referring to the NAAT threat, the minister said the members must realise there is nothing like a “warning strike.”
”I don’t know what that(warning strike) means. Let them go on a warning strike. They will not be paid for two weeks,” Ngige said.
Ngige said the government was “vigorously” pursuing the implementation of the agreement with ASUU
His words: “UTAS is being tested. They have done one or two tests jointly with observers and they are continuing it. I have been monitoring it from wherever I was.
“The Minister of Education(Adamu Adamu) has inaugurated the committee on renegotiation and condition of service arrangements. That committee was inaugurated with Prof Briggs as chairman.
“They have six weeks to bring up whatever they have and from there if education approves it, it will be taken to the Presidential Committee on Salaries and from there to the Federal Executive Council. They are all on course.
“These are the cardinal things they said it is their pain and they are all on course for implementation.”
NAAT had in a statement, said its members had been directed to shut down all laboratories, workshops, studios and farms for the period of the warning strike.
NAAT said it took the decision after a virtual National Executive Council meeting where 97.8 per cent of its branches voted in favour of the strike.
The association accused the government of failing to honour the memorandum of understanding (MoU) it signed with its members despite a series of letters to that effect.
In a letter by its General – Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, the association directed its 46 branches in support of the strike, “ to hold congresses on Monday, 21st March 2022 in the morning to declare the commencement of the warning strike.
Some of the demands of the issues in contention are partial implementation of the 2009 pact; alleged refusal of the government to release the enabling circular for the implementation of CONTISS 14 & 15 for Academic Technologists as contained in the MOU of 2017, 2020 and 2021, non-payment of Earned Allowance (EA) as agreed in the MoU of 2021 as well as the delay in a renegotiation of the agreement.
Others are: non-payment of arrears of National Minimum Wage; inconsistencies in IPPIS payment and non-release of adequate laboratories/ workshops and studios rehabilitation fund (The Nation)
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