ASUU: Union Says FG's Negotiation Faulty, Strike Action To Continue

The federal government's handling of its negotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been condemned by the union.

The warning strike enters its 10th week today, April 25 and there seems to be to end in sight for the industrial action.

The Minister of Labour of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had while making an appearance on Channels TV last week told ASUU to meet with the Benimi Briggs Committee, adding that the strike could only be called off by the union.

Responding to a question on when the issue between ASUU and the federal government would be resolved, Ngige had said, "It depends on ASUU. The ball is in their court.

"They should go and meet the Benimi Briggs Committee and look at what the committee is doing and make further inputs so that the work can be accelerated."

Speaking in an interview with Punch on Sunday, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stated that it was a thing of shame for Ngige to tell the union to go and liaise with another party other than the government.

Osodeke added that the union may have no other choice but to extend the ongoing strike action.

"The rollover ends in two weeks, and there is no information, nothing new from the FG. They didn’t make any effort to get in touch with us or seek ways of ending the strike.

"Our members will decide after two weeks what step to take. We will meet. We are not begging them for discussion; they should invite us for any meeting.

"That’s the way it should be. We are not on strike with Ngige or Briggs but against the government, so why is he saying we should go and meet one committee or one person?

"We are on strike against a system. Ngige just talks without thinking. Are we on strike with a particular person?", he said.