… says ‘We’ll make life uncomfortable for VCs’
The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the National Association of Academic Technologists have said that the strike actions embarked upon by their members in public universities still subsists.
The National Chairman of JAC, Mr. Sam Ugwoke, who is also the SSANU National President, said that the members of NASU, SSANU and NAAT, who commenced a strike across all public universities in the country on December 4, 2017, had yet to suspend the action, and, therefore, called for full compliance.
The unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, had on September 21, 2017, called off their strike, following the Federal Government’s response to their demands.
They, however, said then that they would be reviewing the level of compliance with the agreement and would not hesitate to resume the strike action if government reneged on the agreements reached or delays in any aspects.
The non-teaching staff had gone on a “comprehensive and indefinite strike” action on September 11 and suspended the action on September 21 after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government.
“In one month time, we shall be reviewing the level of compliance with the agreement and shall not hesitate to resume the strike action if government reneges on the agreements reached or delays in any aspects,” Ugwoke had said.
But the JAC chairman, in a chat with our correspondent, stressed that the strike had not been called off and appealed for full compliance by members of the unions.
He said, “We are not unaware of the antics of many vice-chancellors and managements to create a semblance of normalcy by announcing resumption of students and other activities, while also seizing every medium to blackmail our branch leaders into ensuring that the strike action is broken.
“While managements have rights to announce resumption of activities, our members also have a right to deny the system their services till their rights are respected and honoured.”
Ugwoke said the concessions earlier granted out of compassion and sympathy for the system had been withdrawn.
He said, “While the strike action was not targeted at any individual university management, the attitude of many vice-chancellors has shown unprecedented immaturity and irresponsibility that makes them complicit in the ongoing strike action.
The attitude of many vice-chancellors shows unprecedented immaturity and irresponsibility
“We have made the strike action too comfortable for these vice-chancellors, and as such, you are hereby directed to ensure that all services at your disposal are withdrawn. Drivers attached to vice-chancellors and other principal officers should be withdrawn. All units, including VC’s office, Works and Services, Health Centre, Bursary, Registry, ICT, MIS, Audit and others, should be closed down and none of our members are to be found within the vicinity of their offices.”
He added that apart from the strike monitoring teams set up by the branch executives, no SSANU member should be found within the university premises.
He urged members across universities in the country to ensure that no management, Dean or Head of Department coerced SSANU members to render any service, and “where an attempt is made to bring people (either staff or external) to perform official functions of members”, it must be resisted with all legitimate forces at their disposal.
“You must also blacklist all saboteurs and renegade members of the union, who seek to undermine our strike action for pecuniary gains. The importance and reasons for this strike cannot be overstated. We have been taken too much for granted in a system, where we are critical stakeholders and contributors to its progress,” he stated.
Our correspondent gathered that the strike was not unconnected with the sharing formula approved by the Federal Government for the recently released N23 billion to universities as earned allowance, with ASUU receiving about 75 per cent of the funds and the non-teaching staff, 25 per cent.
The non-academic staff believe they were short-changed in the sharing formula.
The ‘earned allowance’ was part of the N220 billion the Federal Government pledged to the universities, which is an integral part of a resolution reached to address the last strike embarked upon by unions over the non-implementation of previous agreements.
