The Federal Government and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have adjourned their renegotiation meeting on the 2009 agreement by one week to allow further consultations.
A source privy to the meeting disclosed that deliberations were extensive and fruitful, with additional milestones achieved during the discussions.
The renegotiation session between the Federal Government committee and the non-teaching staff union was held on Tuesday at the National Universities Commission (NUC) headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting came on the heels of a 30-day ultimatum issued by SSANU to the Federal Government to conclude the renegotiation process before April 30, failing which the union threatened to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike.
SSANU had issued the ultimatum during its 54th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, where it resolved that the government must complete the renegotiation and commence implementation within the stipulated timeframe.
In a communiqué signed by its President, Mohammed Ibrahim, the union expressed concern over what it described as the slow pace and inconclusive nature of the renegotiation process involving non-teaching staff unions.
The union noted that while the government had concluded renegotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and commenced implementation of its agreement since January, similar action had yet to be extended to non-teaching unions in the university system.
SSANU insisted that the Federal Government must reconvene and conclude the renegotiation in a fair, transparent and time-bound manner, warning that prolonged engagement without clear commitment and defined timelines was unacceptable.
The union added that failure by the government to conclude the renegotiation within the stipulated period would compel it to liaise with its partner unions under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU to commence an indefinite industrial action.
