The Nigeria Labour Congress has given the Federal Government 21 days ultimatum to resolve the ongoing strikes by Academic and Non academic Staff Unions of Universities.
The decision was made public via a statement issued at the end of its meeting with affiliate unions in the education sector on Wednesday, April 13.
It should be recalled that on February 14, ASUU declared a one-month warning strike over unsettled demands by the Federal government. The union went into a full strike in March after the Federal government failed to meet its demands. Several meetings between both parties have ended in a deadlock.
The union’s grievances include the government’s refusal to adopt the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) payroll software. Other demands include the endorsement of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, which it said was concluded in May 2021; release of the reports of visitation panels to federal universities, and distortions in salary payment challenges. ASUU is also demanding funding for the revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, improved funding of state universities and payment of promotion arrears.
The NLC after its meeting on Wednesday, urged the government to immediately set up a high-powered panel that will resolve all contentious issues militating against industrial harmony in Nigeria’s university system within 21 days.
NLC stated that it will convene a meeting of its Central working Committee at the expiration of the ultimatum to decide its next line of action.
