Non-academic staff unions of Nigerian universities are threatening to go on strike on the wake of the suspension of the 9-month-old strike of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The non-teaching staff members of the other three unions on campus: the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) are alleging that there is imbalance in the Federal Government’s sharing formula of the about N40 billion earned allowances.
The non-teaching staff alleged that the government gave ASUU about 75 per cent of the earned allowances leaving 25 per cent for to share.
Mr Ibeji Nwokomma , National President of NAAT, said non-teaching staff unions in the universities will not resume except the government corrects the imbalance.
“My union is rejecting the sharing formula of the Earned Allowances as it is being done presently by the government. Government has allocated 75 per cent of the money to ASUU and 25 per cent to all other non-teaching unions in the universities. That is grossly inadequate.
“That is robbing Peter to pay Paul and using divide and rule in the university system. No union, not even ASUU has the monopoly,” he said.
ASUU embarked on strike on March 23, with several demands including funding for the revitalisation of public universities, payment of earned academic allowances, resolving salary shortfalls and state universities’ problems.
However, ASUU has suspended its strike with effect from 12:01 am, December 24, 2020. The decision to suspend the action was unanimously reached by National Executive Council of the union.
