What ASUU Can Do Instead Of Embarking On Strike- Chris Ngige | DETAILS

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, have advised the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to adopt other methods of addressing issues affecting them instead of embarking on strike always.

ASUU embarked on a one-month warning strike on February 14,2022 which was later extended by another two months, over the alleged failure of the government to address their demands bothering on payment system, salaries, and non-implementation of 2009 agreements reached between the Federal government and the Union.

Ngige in a meeting with members of the 2009 FG and university-based unions renegotiation committee on Monday, April 11, noted that the FG is not comfortable with the approach ASUU is using to narrow down their grievances.

He noted that the FG supports the renegotiation of the welfare package for university workers in line with current realities.

Ngige, charged the Federal Government Renegotiation Committee to ensure that it concludes its assignment within six weeks as provided in the Memorandum of Action, MoA, with the union.

The Minister also advised the leadership of ASUU to find a better way of pressurizing the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission, NUC, to hasten action on the implementation of agreements reached with the government rather than rushing to strike every time there was a disagreement.

According to the Minister, instead of ASUU embarking on strike, they can channel their grievances to the Federal ministry of Education or protest at the ministry, clapping and singing.

“I am not Minister of Education. I cannot go to the Education Minister and dictate to him how to run his place. But I told ASUU that you should be bombarding them at the Federal Ministry of Education for this to be moved forward.

“There are many ways to do so. If you go to the labour act, there is something called picketing. You can picket. The strike is an ultimate thing. Picketing means that you can stay in the corridor, clapping or singing. Workers are permitted to do so.

“But I am tired of every time there is a disagreement, it is a strike. And the bosses in the Federal Ministry of Education don’t feel the strike. It is the children and some of us parents that have our children in public schools” Ngige said.