Striking Varsity Workers Unions Accuse FG Of Ignoring Them
After more than one month of strike three non-teaching universities are accusing the federal government of remaining deaf and dumb to their plight.
The unions are now planning to take their protest to president Muhammadu Buhari.
President of the non-academic staff unions, NASU, peters Adeyemi who spoke on behalf of the senior staff association of nigerian universities, SSANU and the national association of academic technologists, NAAT are also accusing the government of paying lip service to ending the strike by research and allied workers.
Apart from the demand for a university pension company, funding of university staff schools and full implementation of the 2009 agreement with government, which are already receiving government attention, the three unions resumed strike in December 2017 as a result of the inability of government to clarify the criteria for the disbursement of 23 billion naira released to university unions, which SSANU, NASU and NAAT claim has been hijacked by the academic staff union of universities, ASUU.
Similarly, the two month old strike by the research and allied workers unions came under focus.
The unions are the senior staff associations of universities, teaching hospitals, research institutes and associated institutions, SSAUTHRAI, the academic staff union of Research Institutions, Asuri and the non-academic staff of universities and associated institutions, NASU.
The research workers strike affects staff in education, science and technology, water resources, health and environment ministries.
Others are budget and national planning as well as mines and steel.