Strike: ASUU faults FG’s last-minute appeal as ‘too late’

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has criticized the Federal Government’s late request for the union to halt its planned warning strike, asserting that the intervention arrived "a little too late."

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this statement on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he accused the government of not acting swiftly on the union’s longstanding demands.

"The issue we face with this government and the Ministry of Education is their sluggishness in addressing our requests," Piwuna remarked.

He noted that the union had provided the government with a three-week timeframe to resolve its concerns following a prior meeting in Sokoto, yet no communication was received during that time.

Piwuna stated, “We went for a meeting in Sokoto, and at that time we were about to embark on a strike action.

“They gave us three weeks, we accepted the three weeks, but we never heard a word from them until the three weeks elapsed — not a word from them, courtesy to even say, ‘Oh gentlemen, we think we are running short, three weeks is around the corner, we are unable to meet with you on so-and-so date.’ Nothing, until we threatened action.”

Piwuna said the government only reached out two working days before the proposed strike, appealing for it to be suspended.

“Yesterday, they appealed to us not to embark on action. Our 2009 agreement — which is still being renegotiated after eight years — remains undone. We have not concluded on it, and two working days before a strike action, you come to appeal to us. I think the appeal has come a little too late,” the ASUU President added.

Meanwhile, Piwuna insisted that the union would proceed with its planned industrial action at the expiration of its ultimatum on Sunday unless the government takes urgent steps to address its demands.

He said, “Their ultimatum expires on Sunday, and after that, there will be a warning strike unless something substantial comes out from the government. So, in the next 48 hours, we expect to receive something substantial from the government.

“Then, we can go back to our members and ask, ‘Do you think this is sufficient for us to hold on?’ and we will do what our members ask us to do.”

ASUU had directed its branches to prepare for a two-week warning strike expected to begin on October 13.

The latest standoff between ASUU and the Federal Government comes despite ongoing negotiations aimed at averting another round of industrial action in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

On Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed in Abuja that the government had entered the final phase of talks with ASUU and other unions to resolve lingering disputes over welfare, funding, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.