The University of Jos (UNIJOS) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced a fresh ‘strike’ to protest the half salaries paid its members for the month of October.
The union is also protesting the government’s refusal to pay the withheld eight months salaries over the prolonged strike by the union.The union has, however, said it has not declared strike but that its members should stay away from work until the alleged injustice is remedied.
The National Vice President of ASUU, Chris Piwuna, who had earlier described the government’s action as “humiliating, insulting and embarrassing,” is a member of the chapter. The chapter is the first to react to what Nigerian lecturers have described as mutilated salaries paid by the government for the month of October.
It is the first pay they have received since the suspension of the industrial action on 14 October, and they have said the government’s action does not reflect the understanding reached before the strike was suspended. They have fingered the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, for being allegedly responsible for the “embarrassing treatment.”
Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES has confirmed that the National Executive Council of ASUU is set to meet on Monday to deliberate on the matter and take appropriate action. After its congress on Friday, ASUU-UNIJOS directed its members to continue staying at home until the salaries are paid. It, however, said it was not on strike.
“In view of the bottleneck placed by Ngige towards paying our members the backlog of our salaries, the congress of ASUU University of Jos met today 4th November, 2022 and resolved to stay at home, though not on strike, until the backlog of the withheld salaries are paid,” a statement signed by the chairman of ASUU-UNIJOS chapter, Lazarus Maigoro, reads in part.
Mr Maigoro said the lecturers have resumed and are ready to work but couldn’t as a result of lack of payment.
