Workers To Cripple Activities In Varsities For One Week In December

The prevailing industrial peace existing in the nation’s universities may soon be shattered as university workers across the country have concluded plans to shut down all federal and state universities for one week in December.

Minister Of Education: Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i

This strategy was adopted just as the National President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Comrade Samson Ugwoke, declared that there would be no peace in the university system in 2013 if the Earned Allowance of university workers, as agreed upon in the 2009 accord between the Federal Government and the three non-teaching staff unions in the universities was not included in the 2013 budget and paid.

In addition, the SSANU president warned that any attempt by government to accept any recommendation that would lead to reduction in the workforce of non-teaching staff  in the universities as advised by the Universities Needs Assessment Committee Report would be resisted.

During the SSANU National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the weekend at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the SSANU president, was given the mandate of his members to join hands and work with other unions to embark on a nationwide strike and shut down the universities for one week in December, as a warning to  government.

The university workers, under the aegies of SSANU, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), have fixed  a crucial meeting for December 3, in Abuja where plans to declare a one-week warning strike to commence on December 10, with a seven-day grace to abide with the extant Labour law to serve a strike notice, will be fine tuned.

Already, the leaderships of the three unions, have received  100 per cent mandate of their NECs and members to execute the warning strike, which they see as a prelude to what to expect in 2013 if their demands were not met.

In a communique made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday after its NEC meeting in Uyo, SSANU gave a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, effective December 3, on the twin-issue of the NEEDS assessment and the Earned Allowance.