The non-academic staff union are warming up for another strike, and university undergraduates may be forced to stay at home again.
The non-academic staff in Nigerian universities may start another strike if the Federal Government fails to honour the agreement it had with the university workers before Wednesday, July 4, 2018.
Following the failure of the Federal Government to implement the agreement it had with the non-teaching staff in March 2018, the leadership of the union has fixed the first Wednesday in July to decide the next line of action.
You will recall that the union comprising of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) in December 2017, went on an indefinite strike action.
The union started the industrial action to protest against the sharing formula for the N23 billion the government released to the universities as earned allowances.
However, the strike was suspended on March 15 after the union entered an agreement with the federal government.
According to reports, the union gave the FG five weeks to implement the agreement, but this has not been done 13 weeks later.
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Reacting to government's failure to implement the agreement, SSANU's spokesperson, Abdussobur Salaam said the government is very insincere and very irresponsible in honouring agreements.
“The development in the past few weeks is disheartening and very disappointing and what it has continued to show to us as non-teaching staffers in the university is that this government is very insincere, very irresponsible when it comes to honouring agreements”.
Salaam said government's attitude may force them to take some decisions.
NASU threatens to paralyse academic activities nationwide
Recall that in May 2018, warned the Federal Government to implement the agreement between them or they resume their strike they suspended in March.
The workers were also angry with the Federal Government for giving approval to more universities instead of concentrating resources to raise the standard of the existing ones.