Reps To Halt Planned Varsity Union Strike, Summon Minister -

The House of Representatives is set to halt the planned strike by the Non-Academic Staff of Universities with a move to intervene in the dispute between the Federal Government and staff of the universities.

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on University Education, Abubakar Fulata, made the move at a meeting with the officials of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and NASU in Abuja on Thursday.

Others at the meeting include the National Association of Academic Technologists and other relevant stakeholders.

SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, who also spoke on behalf of NASU, said that the unions embarked on a one-week warning strike recently because of the non-payment of their withheld salary in 2022.

Mr Ibrahim said in spite of President Bola Tinubu’s waiver and directive that four months of their withheld salary over the 2022 industrial action be paid, it had not been obeyed.

He added that the Ministry of Education and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation had not complied.

He said the unions were planning to go on an indefinite strike any moment from now should the government fail to comply with their demands.

Mr Ibrahim said that their counterpart, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, had been paid the four months withheld salary and wondered why the government would not pay theirs.

In the same vein, the President of National Association of Academic Technologists, Ibeji Nwokema, said that the Federal Government had not fully complied with the 2009 and 2017 agreements reached with the unions.

He said shortly after the end of the seven-day warning strike which started on March 20, NAAT officials met and agreed to begin an indefinite strike in April.

However, Mr Fulata appealed to the unions to give the committee and the House of Representatives time to meet with the relevant authorities on the issues.

Mr Fulata said the House would resume on April 16, and would take drastic actions on the matter, hence the need to put on-hold notices of strike.

SSANU and NASU on Tuesday ended their seven-day warning strike.

In a circular to the branch chairmen of public universities across the country, Mr Ibrahim directed members of the union and those of NASU to resume work.

The two unions began a seven-day warning strike last over withheld salaries.

Members of the unions in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students’ affairs withdrew their services throughout the period of the warning strike.

Hostels and university gates were locked up and electricity supply cut off while the strike lasted.

(NAN)