The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated institutions is set to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
Our correspondent gathered that the union may decide to call off its ongoing strike, depending on the outcome of the meeting.
The PUNCH had reported that following the declaration of strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, other unions, such as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and NASU, had declared strikes.
The unions had insisted on the payment of minimum wage arrears owed since 2017, among other demands,
The PUNCH had also reported how the Federal Government, through the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, engaged with ASUU, NASU, SSANU and other tertiary institution based unions in a tripartite meeting.
However, a circular shared with our correspondent on Thursday by concerned parties within the NASU NEC noted that the union would hold an emergency meeting.
“I have been directed to invite all branch chairmen to an emergency meeting for a briefing, deliberation and to take appropriate decisions on the outcome of the two meetings held with the honourable Minister of Labour and Employment on Thursday 5th May, 2022 and the tripartite meeting chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President on Thursday, 12th May, 2022.
“The meeting will be held as follows: Tuesday, 24th May, 2022 at 11am.”
An official of the union noted that the union might call off its strike depending on the outcome of the meeting.
“It depends on the outcome. If all the unions vote in favour of calling off the strike, then it will be called off,” the official, who spoke anonymously, said.
Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities on Friday noted that the payment of minimum wage arrears was not part of its demands from the Federal Government.
It’s unjust to pay ASUU N30bn without supplementary budget and give same reason for non-payment of non-academic unions’ N18bn arrears –SSANU president, Ibrahim
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the government had begun the payment of the minimum wage arrears it owed lecturers in the universities and polytechnics since 2017.
Speaking to our correspondent, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Dr Anderson Ezeibe noted that while government had met one of the demands of the union, it had not met all demands.
“We haven’t reached anywhere, but I can confirm that payments have started,” he had said.
Saturday PUNCH reports that academic activities in public universities and polytechnics have been grounded due to the ongoing industrial action by ASUU and ASUP.
Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, a member of the National Executive Council of ASUU, Dr Gbolahan Bolarin, said, “The issue of the minimum wage is not part of our demands, it is part of the demands of the non-academic staff.”
When asked if the union would call off the strike, he said, “The (payment of) salary arrears was never part of our demands.”
Copyright PUNCH.
