ASUU strike update today 2020: Latest on Academic Staff Union of Universities industrial action
Di National President of Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi say dem no reach any agreement wit goment to suspend dia strike on 9, December 2020.
Oga Ogunyemi for statement say di minister of labour Chris Ngige bin lie wen e tell di whole world say di lecturers agree to resume work and dat na until di di lecturers enta class before goment go pay dem dia withheld salaries. E further yarn say for dia last meeting of November 27, di leadership of ASUU promise to present di latest goment offer to their members through dia unions before dem go reach conclusion. E explain say goment proposal bin get timeline wey include di payment of salary on December, 9 while ASUU own na to go meet wit dia organ to discuss wit dia members on how to suspend di strike. Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige bin say di goment delegation and ASUU bin get gentleman agreement wey be say di union agree to call off strike for December 9, while di minister promise to get presidential waiver to pay dia withheld salary on or before December 9. Di Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige say na only wen lecturers resume work den im and di minister of finance, education go write memo to clear dia salary - but dat ASUU demand so far mean say di union dey place imself above di law of di land. On di comment by ASUU chairman, Biodun Ogunyemi say if goment fail to meet im deadline to pay dia salary dis week dem go take dia final decision on top di strike, di minister of labour say goment neva fail as e don try do all dey things e promise ASUU. Di minister para give ASUU oga say im yan okpata on top claim say goment agree to pay dem dia moni for di period of strike even though dem tanda for house plus refuse to do virtual teaching or research. E explain say so far, na only di month of July, August, September and October naim goment dey owe di lecturers dem and dat e dey baseless for for ASUU to claim say dem no go fit go back class to teach on empty stomach. E say goment sake of pity don even pay di lecturers dem five month out of di nine month wey e owe dem but yet di union dey strong head. Steps for ASUU to end strike Before ASUU go call off strike, e get procedure wey dem say dem must to follow first. Oga Ogunyemi say di group of ASUU officials wey dey negotiate wit di goment delegation everytime 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. Den afta dat, dem go suspend di strike. Di meeting between Academic Staff Union of Universities and goment wey suppose hold on Wednesday to iron out di union nine month strike postpone becos ASUU leadership bin say di time too short for dem to begin call dia members to come attend di meeting. Dis wan na as lecturers say dem no go resume until goment pay dem all dia withheld salaries, goment say dat one no fit happun as no be wetin dem agree for dia last meeting. Dis na some of di tins wey goment ASUU don joinbodi tok: ASUU and goment pipo don dey meet to see how dem go stop di ongoing strike and allow students dem go back to school. Dem don agree on so many things but di only major wahala now, na di payment of dia outstanding salary wey lecturers insist say dem do trust di goment say e go pay dia salary if dem resume.