SSANU, NASU expected to call off strike Feb 15 — FG

THE Federal Government has refuted the report making the rounds that the meeting that was held on Thursday between its representatives and those of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non- Academic Staff Union of Universities ended in deadlock.

The government said contrary to the widely circulated report the meeting was fruitful and the university workers agreed to suspend their strike and go back to their duty posts on Monday, February 15, 2021.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said agreements were reached by both parties with timelines, which were documented as Memorandum of Understanding.

Ngige said the MoU was given to the leaders of the two unions to peruse and consult their members with a view to calling off the strike latest by Monday.

“The meeting did not end in deadlock. Rather, agreements were reached on some issues with timelines and these were documented as Memorandum of Understanding and given to leaders of the two unions to go and consult their people with a view to calling off the strike latest by Monday, February 15, 2021,” Ngige said.

According to a statement on Friday, by the Deputy Director and Head of Press, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, titled, ‘Meeting with SSANU, NASU did not end in deadlock-FG,’ the minister said “five issues discussed had agreements, while only one had a proposal, which was a government proposal for the unions to go back and discuss with their organs.”

The unions are on strike over the government’s handling of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, sharing formula of the N40b earned academic allowances and non-payment of arrears of the new minimum wage.

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