Three major non-academic staff unions will decide on Wednesday whether
to join the strike by university lecturers.
The
Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU will meet with
the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU, and the
Non-Academic Technicians, NAT, on Wednesday in Abuja to decide on
whether to join the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff
Union of Universities, ASUU, an official told PREMIUM TIMES.
Abdulsubur
Salaam, the National Public Relations Officer of SSANU, said during an
interview on Sunday that the associations have been “pushed to the wall”
by the Nigerian government.
“The federal government has been
discussing with the academics but we have been reaching out to them
since before now and they have refused to heed to us,” Mr. Salaam said.
The official listed some of the problems the unions had with the government.
“The
issue of staff school that is being negotiated and we are not carried
along was agreed on by the four unions in Nigerian varsities; our earned
allowances have not been paid too and branches are really heaping
pressure on us, especially on the staff school issue.
“So full blown
strike may be inevitable as at now. However, we would take that meeting
on Wednesday and make a decision on this there.”
The ASUU had
embarked on a nationwide strike last Monday over demands for improved
funding of universities and welfare of lecturers.
A meeting between the union and the Nigerian government last Thursday ended in a deadlock.
But an optimistic Adamu Adamu, the Education Minister, said the strike could be called off within one week.