Despite the federal government’s settlement of minimum salary arrears, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has stated that its members would not return to work.
This was stated in a circular sent by the union’s University of Lagos section headlined “Payment of Minimum Wage Arrears.”
“The leadership of our Branch has been bombarded with calls about the recent payment of the long-overdue arrears of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage,” according to the circular.
“Our members are reminded that this is not one of the fundamental demands behind the current strike action.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, our Union’s demands include, among other things, the completion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, the abolition of the fraudulent and corrupt IPPIS scheme and the deployment of UTAS, the payment of promotion arrears, the proliferation of State Universities, and governance issues.”
“While our Union appreciates this unexpected donation, we ask that our members please preserve and spend carefully in order to energize our battle until all of our demands are satisfied properly.”
“Our Union applauds our members’ determination and sacrifice in establishing an internationally competitive university system.”
“We negotiate together! We plead to be divided! A unified people can never be vanquished. “Forever in solidarity”
As part of its attempts to stop continuing union strikes, the federal government began paying minimum salary arrears owing to lecturers under the auspices of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Following the Federal Government’s refusal to satisfy its demands, ASUU launched a four-week rollover strike on February 15.
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, National President of ASUU, stated that the decision was made during the union’s National Executive Committee meeting.
Osodeke stated that the union has not received an official invitation from the federal government since their previous meeting in December 2021.