The
three major non academic Staff unions in the nation’s university system
have called on the Federal Government to ignore any Memorandum of
Understanding with striking members of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities.
The three unions are the Non-Academic
Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions, National
Association of Academic Technologists and Senior Staff Association of
Nigerian Universities.
The President of SSANU, Mr. Samson
Ugwoke, who is also the spokesperson of the other unions in an
electronic mail on Friday, advised the Federal Government to ensure
implementation of agreement reached with the various unions in the
university system in 2009 rather than an MoU with ASUU.
Ugwoke said that the MoU being referred
to by ASUU in the negotiation with the Federal Government was motivated
by the selfish interest of the university lecturers while the 2009
agreements with the unions dwelt on issues relating to staff welfare.
He said that the demands of ASUU in the
said MoU would generate more crises in the university sub-sector as the
non-teaching staff would resist any attempt to ‘sell’ the universities
to the lecturer’s union.
Ugwoke called on the Federal Government
to give the deserved attention to the building of confidence in the
government through implementation of voluntary agreement with unions.
“We sympathise and solidarise with our
sister union, ASUU, over their long drawn struggle for the welfare of
their members. We urge the government to build more confidence in
governance by respecting agreements it freely enters into with unions.
“However, we caution that any settlement
of the current dispute must take into account the interests of all the
university-based unions (NAAT, SSANU, NASU and ASUU). The three
non-teaching staff unions of NAAT, SSANU and NASU are opposed to any
extraneous demands by either ASUU or any group in the university which
are prejudicial to the welfare of our members.
“Our stand is that government should
jettison the so-called ASUU’s Memorandum of Understanding and
concentrate on full implementation of the 2009 FGN/unions agreements
which border on staff conditions of service and welfare, and increased
funding to universities.
“The MOU referred to by ASUU is for their selfish end and it is bound to generate more crises in the university sub-sector.
“The non-teaching staff unions in the universities will stoutly resist any attempt to ‘sell’ the universities to ASUU.”
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