ASUU Strike today: 2020 University lecturers strike latest news update for Nigeria
As e be so, ASUU representatives and Nigeria goment delegation don enta close door meeting for Minister of Labour and Employment conference room.
Cross section of ASUU and Federal Goment attendees for di ASUU strike meeting Di Minister of Labour Chris Ngige for di opening speech say im know say universities go resume for January but dey hopeful say dem go finalize all di tok to end di ASUU strike. ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi say di meeting go produce cheering news for students. Many university students across Nigeria go now wait to know di fate of dia higher education today as meeting dey shele. Di situation so far Dis go be di number nine time both parties dey meet behind close door to agree on steps to take to end di strike. For di previous meeting, goment agree to pay members of di Academic Staff Union of Universities earned allowance of 40 billion and 30 billion revitalization moni, wey be moni to cari equip di universities to make am conducive for students to learn. But despite dis agreement, one major issue wey bin dey cause kasala na di payment of dia withheld salaries. Chris Ngige, di Minister of Labour and Employment, Federal Government delegation say if di lecturers no resume class goment no go pay dem di withheld salaries. But di lecturers on dia own side say dem no trust goment and dat dem no go resume class until goment pay dem. Both ASUU and and minister of labour exchange gbas gbos for media as dem kontinu argue who dey tok true. For dia last meeting, both parties refuse tok to press on top dia outcome to make sure say dem stop to spoil di public mind. Wetin go happun for meeting today? Di BBC Pidgin don confam say today meeting go hold around 4pm for di minister of labour conference room. Chris Ngige don yarn say im dey optimistic about di meeting and dat dem go agree on concrete mata today and dat universities go open for January 2021. BBC Pidgin fit confam say goment don begin pay di lecturers dia withheld salaries. At least, some of di lecturers don get one or two months salaries from di eight months wey goment dey owe dem. Di lecturers fit decide reciprocate dis kind gesture and fit gree to go back class by ending di strike either today or Wednesday. ASUU procedure to end strike Before ASUU go call off strike, e get procedure wey dem say dem must to follow first. Di National President of ASUU Biodun Ogunyemi say di group of union officials wey dey negotiate wit di goment delegation every time no get constitutional powers to call off or suspend strike. Di koko be say wen dem go for negotiation and goment put out any offer, dem gatz go back to members for all di branches through dia various organs for dem to chook mouth and den, dem go review and also come up wit dia own stand and den na wetin dem agree, naim di negotiating team go cari go di next meeting as counter offers. Di trade union strategy of offer and counter-offer go go on until di National Executive Council of ASUU wey consist of all di recognised chairperson finally approve di best offer wey goment offer dem Meanwhile one insider tell BBC Pidgin say if goment meet all dia needs, di union fit hold dia NEC meeting between Tuesday and Wednesday to call of dia strike. ASUU and Labour Ministry meeting on top di ongoing strike Covid-19 regulation Even if ASUU and goment resolve dia mata and dem end di strike, one major issue wey go delay di reopening of universities na di resurgence of covid-19. School authorities gats put in place plenty measure to ensure say di schools dem dey safe for students to come inside and learn. As di year winds down, e no clear whether university students fit return to school again dis year but hope dey say school go resume early next year. How di ASUU Strike start? On 9 March 2020, ASUU begin two weeks warning strike to protests no-pay of salary to lecturers wey no follow for di federal goment Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). Dem argue say, IPPIS no go work for lecturers becos e no consider di special way wey universities dey take operate. Goment bin introduce di IPPIS programme to monitor transparency for di academic sector. Why di Strike dey drag? Goment and di union don do plenty plenty meeting to discuss di mata but each time dem dey jam rock. As di first two weeks warning strike still dey happun, di Nigeria goment give di union conditions wey dem go take integrate UTAS wit IPPIS. Di union begin indefinite strike afta dem reject di conditions. On dat day, di national president of di union, Biodun Ogunyemi, accuse goment of trying to force dem to join IPPIS. Sake of di back and forth on di payroll plan, goment get backlog of salaries of lecturers as dem no gree pay dem through di formal means. Di mata develop into lecturers demand for payment of salaries before dem go fit go back to school.