Latest Update on NASU Strike

The Non –Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), has vowed that it would continue the current strike until the Federal Government implements the 52 per cent agreement reached with it. It also described the 20 percent increment in its salary as inconsequential. Speaking at a one-day emergency Trade Group Meeting of delegates from all Nigerian Universities and Inter –University Centres, held at the University of Lagos last Friday, the General Secretary of the association, Comrade Peters Adeyemi said the 20 per cent salary increment that was approved for the members by the Federal Government was nothing to right home about and for that reason they would not accept it. According to him, about two years ago, Federal Government constituted a committee to look into the demands of NASU members. N.B Visit www.campusflava.com for updates and information related to other schools.   He said that after negotiation, the committee in which Gamaliel Onosode represented the Federal Government recommended 52 per cent increment to the government. Adeyemi said they were surprised that government later denied that there was no negotiation between NASU and government, adding that while the negotiation was going on, there was no time government came out to say that it had no confidence in its team which was ably represented by Onosode. His words" I want to say that this government is insincere. Two years ago, it constituted a negotiation team with Gamaliel Onosode as its representative to look into the demands of NASU.We negotiated for two years and came up with an agreement .The Onosode committee agreed on 52 per cent salary increment.We were surprised that government has now gone back on its words by saying that there was no agreement and therefore approved mere 20 percent. But government cannot impose a decision on us." The NASU scribe said a government preaching due process and rule of law should honour the decision of its representatives. According to him, the 20 per cent increment was based on nothing, adding that the same government approved higher percentage to the workers in the other fields without taking into cognizance that NASU was poorly paid. "Even if government approves 100 per cent increment for everybody, there will still be disparity and our salary will not be the same with others. For us to be producing quality graduates, we deserve to be well paid. We deserve to be empowered and motivated." He said government had started to employ different tactics to break the ranks of the members. According to him, one of the tactics was no work no pay. He also said what NASU was demanding was not only salary increment but also improvement in other conditions of service. According to him, one of their demands was that the retirement age of NASU members should be increased to 65 years from the current 60 years. At the end of the emergency meeting, newsmen were shown a copy of the 52 per cent agreement reached between Federal Government representatives and NASU officials. Both parties duly signed the agreement. Forty-two branches of NASU nation wide attended the One-Day emergency meeting and all of them came with solidarity messages from their branches in favour of the strike continuing until all their demands are met.