CRUTECH Workers Begin Indefinite Strike

Barely two week after the suspension of the three-month old national strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which disrupted activities in most government owned universities across the country, four industrial unions at the Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH) have embarked on another indefinite strike.

N.B Visit www.campusflava.com for updates and information related to other schools.  

The action has thus dashed student's hope of resuming normal academic activities on campus after the strike that left them frustrated.
Members of the institution's branch of ASUU, Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Universities (SSANU), and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) held a peaceful demonstration at the Calabar campus of the university to protest what they called the state government's insensitivity to the plight of staff of the institution.
The workers, clad in black and carrying green leaves and placards, marched round the university and its environs, chanting solidarity songs. Some of the placards read: “Tourism and Carnival without Education means nothing to Cross Riverians”; “CRUTECH staff are the Least Paid among Nigerian Universities”; “Remember, Tourism without Education is Useless”; “CRUTECH is not Part of Civil Service”; “Save CRUTECH from total collapse”. among others.
The protesters resolved to embark on an indefinite strike action until the state government met all their demands.
Presenting their demands to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eneobong Eneobong, since they were denied access into the governor's office by law enforcement agents, Chairman of the CRUTECH branch of ASUU, Dr. Nsing Ogar, who spoke on behalf of all the unions, said they decided to embark on the strike because of poor remuneration, poor working environment, dilapidated infrastructures and the insensitivity of government to workers' demands.
He said the strike would be “indefinite and total”, adding that there would not be academic activities, senate meetings, sale of forms, writing of aptitude test and general administration at the institution.
Ogar said ASUU's grouse included non payment of the consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (UASS) approved and enjoyed in other universities since 2007; non payment of arrears of monetisation (October 2003 to December 2005); non payment of arrears of HATISS (16 months), non payment of arrears of Teaching practice/SIWES allowance (February to date); non payment of arrears of promotions to deserving staff and non payment of twelve and a half of UASS from October 2005 to December 2006, among others.
“As stakeholders, ASUU CRUTECH has demonstrated sufficient and uncommon understanding, support and patience in appreciation of our conceived desire to build a university of excellence that is among the first class and second to none in the country. However, these lofty goals can only come to fruition when the enabling environment is provided and guaranteed, where the academic workforce is sufficiently motivated to produce the desired output. It is just too unfortunate and unimaginable to note that ASUU, CRUTECH branch resolved to embark upon a local strike action immediately after the suspension of the national strike on Friday, October 9, 2009. The strike is definite and total”, he stressed.