The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says the union has not reached any agreement yet with Federal Government to suspend its industrial action.

ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, said there is nothing in the government’s offer on November 27 to suggest the end of the over eight-month strike.

“Therefore, the ASUU leadership did not reach any understanding with the government to suspend the strike on 9th December 2020 and there is nothing in the government offer of 27th November 2020 to suggest that conclusion as allegedly claimed by the Minister of Labour and Employment,” the statement partly read.

“The leadership of ASUU has consistently stated at every meeting with high ranking government officials that the union’s representatives have no mandate to take a final decision on any strike action by the union.

“All the leadership does is to present government offers through its organs, and that we have done faithfully in the current situation.”

The union leadership’s stance on the prolonged strike followed media reports from the Labour Minister, Chris Ngige that ASUU had promised to suspend the strike on December 9.

THE STATEMENT READS IN FULL:

WHY THE STRIKE HAS NOT BEEN SUSPENDED

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been inundated with enquiries on why the ongoing strike action has not been suspended. This was sequel to the widely reported claims by some government agents that all the demands of ASUU have been met and that the union agreed to suspend the strike action today, 9th December 2020. Nothing can be farther from the truth!

To put the records straight, the Principal Officers and Trustees who constitute the core of representatives of ASUU at negotiation meetings with the government are not constitutionally empowered to suspend any strike action. Whatever comes out of an engagement with agents of the government is an offer which must be taken back to the branches through the various organs of the union.

Views and perspectives on offers by governments are aggregated and presented to government agents as counter-offers. This trade union strategy of offer and counter-offer is continually deployed until the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU – consisting of all recognised chairpersons – finally approves what it considers an acceptable offer from the government. It is only then that any strike action by ASUU can be suspended.

At our last meeting in the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment on 27th November 2020, the ASUU leadership promised to faithfully present the latest government offer to its members through the established tradition.

The latest offer by the government makes proposals on nearly all items of demand by the union with timelines. Among others, the document which was signed by the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, contains proposals on the inauguration of the reconstituted FGN-ASUU Renegotiation Committee (1st December 2020); release of details about Visitation Panels (1st December 2020); working on the actualisation of the release of the withheld salaries of ASUU members (Wednesday, 9th December 2020).

Clause 9 on the document reads: “Based on these conclusions reached on items 1-8, ASUU’s leadership will consult its organs with a view to suspending the on-going strike” (Italics, for emphasis).

Therefore, the ASUU leadership did not reach any understanding with the government to suspend the strike on 9th December 2020 and there is nothing in the government offer of 27th November 2020 to suggest that conclusion as allegedly claimed by the Minister of Labour and Employment.

The leadership of ASUU has consistently stated at every meeting with high ranking government officials that the union’s representatives have no mandate to take the final decision on any strike action by the union.

All the leadership does is to present government offers through its organs, and that we have done faithfully in the current situation.

ASUU recognises and appreciates the concerns of all Nigerians who have been calling for an early resolution of the ongoing crisis. It was a needless crisis in the first place.

It happened because the government has consistently failed to faithfully implement the Agreements it freely signed with the union. ASUU members, as stakeholders in the Nigerian University System, are equally worried and embarrassed that those in the position of authority, over the years, displayed seeming indifference to the rot and decay in Nigeria’s public universities.

We think it is not too late to do a rethink. We believe if there is the will, there will be a way.

ASUU acknowledges some more recent interventions aimed at resolving the crisis. While the union is willing to cooperate with concerned authorities on the matter, this would not be done to its own detriment. So, the strike would only be suspended when the union’s organs affirm that the welfare and wellbeing of ASUU members, as well as the survival of our public universities, are sufficiently guaranteed.

Biodun Ogunyemi

President

For and on behalf of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)

09th December, 2020