The Plateau State University chapter of the Universities Academic Staff Union (ASUU), has rejected the call for it to end the ongoing industrial action, saying that until its members’ owed allowances are paid in full, the classrooms will remain closed.
After a meeting with the university’s leadership on Tuesday, the union’s secretary, Samson Deme, told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview that only Naira 37 million of the Naira 142 million of academic allowances have been paid for its members.
He said it was at Tuesday’s meeting that the union realized that the N100 million released was not just for ASUU, but for all striking unions, including the institution’s chapters of the Nigerian Universities Senior Staff Association ( SSANU) and the Non-Academic Personnel Union. (NASU), among others.
“They begged us to cancel the strike so that they could negotiate with other striking unions, just so that we had a meeting with the university leadership today (Tuesday) and we realized that the 100 million naira that was released was for everyone. unions, ”Mr. Deme told PREMIUM TIMES in a phone conversation.
ASUU said the total earned academic awards that the state government owed its members was N142 million.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the Plateau state government had in a meeting with representatives from ASUU on Monday urged striking teachers to return to classes, saying it had released N100 million and promised to release the remaining N42 million by the end of January. But ASUU demanded that the funds be paid before calling off the strike, saying they no longer deliver on promises.
Lawsuits
The last strike undertaken by the union on December 20, 2021, was the result of the alleged non-implementation of the March 2, 2021 agreement signed with the government by the union.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the union’s demands include capital projects at the school, increased safety, as well as payment for earned academic assignments.
ASUU said the Plateau state government was supposed to pay the first tranche of N70 million immediately after the agreement was signed in March 2021, and the second tranche of N72 million in October 2021. But the government only paid N100 million in December 2021.
Endless strike
Just a year ago, on January 15, 2021, the union embarked on a strike that lasted about three months. It was only canceled in March when it signed an agreement with the government. Now, ASUU accuses the government of not complying with the agreement.