AFRICA

ASUU Joins Labour Strike, Demands Fair Wages

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has joined the ongoing strike alongside Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, in a bid to demand wage renegotiation from the Federal Government.

This decision came after the Federal Government failed to meet the unions’ minimum wage demand.

In a statement directed to the branch chairpersons and zonal coordinators of ASUU on Monday, the association’s President, Emmanuel Osodeke, instructed lecturers in universities across the country to join the strike as an affiliate of the congress.

Osodeke said, “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. 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.”

Prior to this move, ASUU had been contemplating a strike action, criticising the Federal Government’s failure to appoint Governing Councils for Federal Universities.

The union also expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as the nonchalant attitude of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government towards academic matters in Nigerian Federal Universities.

During a press briefing at the University of Abuja, the body also raised concerns about the 35 per cent salary increment for professors and the 25 per cent salary increment for other academics in the university system, considering it as a wage award that the government could retract 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.

In anticipation of these actions, ASUU 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.

Nneoma Udensi