Strike looms in federal varsities

The relative peace being experienced in federal universities across the country may soon suffer a setback following the impending strike by non teaching staff in federal universities.
The Eagle Online gathered that the impending strike is scheduled to begin on February 25.
The various unions in the universities, consisting of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and the National Association of Academic Technologists, are planning to embark on a nationwide indefinite strike to force the Federal Government to rescind the planned retrenchment of non teaching staff in federal universities.
It can be recalled that the unions embarked on a one-week strike in December 2012 to express their grievance over the Federal Government’s refusal to include and cater for their demands in the 2013 budget.
Speaking during the one week warning strike, the Chairman, SSANU, UNILAG, Olusegun Odusonwo, said the government reached an agreement with the unions in 2009 but has refused to carry out its part of the agreement.
Odusonwo said government’s insincerity is behind the strike action in the universities.
He said: “What that portend to us is that throughout year 2013, there will be no hope of implementing the 2009 agreement.
“SSANU is particularly not pleased with the government’s decision to retrenched 50 per cent of non teaching staff of the universities, as the committee that took the decision did not consist of the stakeholders of SSANU.
“The constituted committee did not consist of SSANU stakeholders but only the academic.
“We are not enough considering the nature of our job.
“For instance, where five persons are supposed to work, just one person is working there.”
The Chairman of SSANU, University of Ibadan chapter, Comrade Wale Akinremi, expressed dismay over the Federal Government’s failure to implement the agreement reached with the union in 2009
Akinremi said: “The major part of the agreement has not been implemented.
“Federal Government has failed by refusing to fulfill its promise.
“We have exhausted our patience.
“We feel government is not sincere.”
Another issue the unions might be calling for its full implementation is the hazard allowance and the arrears, which they claimed had not been paid for years.
A driver at the university of Ibadan said the hazard allowance will go a long way in meeting huge financial burden in his family.
A source added: “You know the danger involved in our job and the long overtime we stay to drive officers around.
“The Federal Government should pay the hazard allowance and the arrears as this will be a huge amount, which I can use to to settle my family needs.”
Though the unions said the Federal Government had implemented their demand in regards to the salary increase and the 65 years retirement age for members in the 2009 agreement, the unions are also agitating for the payment of the 2009 to 2012 arrears.
A source told The Eagle Online that leaders of the various unions have been holding meetings to determine when the full scale strike will commence as the Federal Government had not yielded to their demands after the last one week warning strike.
The source, who requested anonymity, said: “During the last warning strike, the leaders said they will wait and see if the government will implement the agreement.
“The NEC (National Executive Committee) of the unions are meeting and they plan a full scale strike that will paralyse the universities from next week Monday.
“This strike is due to the government’s insincerity as all our pleas to the Federal Government have fallen on deaf ears.
“It is obvious now that the Federal Government did not include the unions’ demands in the 2013 budget and this is the crux of the strike as the unions are fed up with the pranks and the strike is now the last resort to get to the governments.”
Another non teaching staff, Ademola Raji, said the Federal Government should be fair to all its workers.
Raji said: “Look at the amount the government spent on the Super Eagles for winning the AFCON.
“We all can’t play football for Nigeria but we are doing our parts in ensuring that this nation moves forward.
“Without the civil servants, the country will collapse.
“But it is sad that government is not fair to all its workers.”