The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind University Unions pledging to stage a one–day nationwide protest as a way of prevailing on the Federal Government to meet their demands.
NLC lamented that reports from a meeting between its Central Working Committee and the leadership of the various Academic Unions revealed that there is no hope of the strike being called off anytime soon as no progress is being made in the government’s negotiation with them.
Speaking during the National Executive Council meeting of the Congress in Abuja, NLC’s President Ayuba Wabba said he perceives that the government is being antipathetic in approaching the union’s demands.
Truthlive.net had reported that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and National Association of Academic Technologists commenced a one-month warning strike but later extended it by two months over what it described as government non-compliance with its demands.
Wabba said, “I think there is reluctance in addressing this issue (of strike) and therefore, CWC has decided that there will be a one-day national protest to call the attention of the government to resolve the issue immediately. After that, the next decision of the CWC will take place
He also directed all the affiliate unions of the NLC to issue directives on the planned one-day national protest from next week.
However, the NLC leader did not reveal the actual date of the nationwide protest.
Similarly, Wabba revealed that the congress is studying the case of teachers relieved of their jobs by the Kaduna State Government as well as decrying the present fuel crisis in the country.
In a similar development, the chairman, Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities Prof Samuel Edoumiekumo during the launch of the intellectual property policy document for universities in Abuja on Thursday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to accelerate the process of resolving ongoing disputes between the unions and government
He said, “We plead that drastic action is taken to stem the haemorrhage that the system is currently witnessing. For the sake of our children and our society, we need the decision.”
