The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, is considering the suspension of its ongoing strike action in deference to the appeal from President Muhammadu Buhari.
A member of the union, who spoke with journalists on condition of anonymity, revealed that the union is currently considering suspending the three months strike.
“The suspension may last for just three months, the negotiations with the Federal Government would continue during the grace period,” he said.
He added that if the government fails to meet the demands of ASUU within the three months, the union would be forced to lift the suspension and embark on an indefinite strike.
The move towards the suspension is is coming a few hours after President Muhammadu Buhari pleaded with ASUU to consider the suffering of students and call off the strike.
DAILY GIST reported that the union commenced a warning strike on February 14 over failure of the federal government to meet its demands and implement some agreements the two parties entered into previously.
ASUU’s demands include the funding of the revitalisation of public universities, the Earned Academic Allowances, the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.
Others are the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and the inconsistency in Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System.
The Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige while addressing journalists after the meeting however said: “We have reached some agreements and we hope that by next week, those agreements will be maturing and the different unions will have something to tell their members, so that they can call off the strike.
“We have put some timelines for some aspects like renegotiation of 2009 agreement in terms of condition of service and wage review. So, we are hopeful that by next weekend, the unions will see a conclusion of that area”.
