Members of f non-teaching staffs of federal universities in Nigeria have vowed that their ongoing strike will continue until their demands are acceded to by the government. The workers, operating under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee (JAC) have been on a nationwide strike which enters the 78th day on Tuesday.
Hope that the strike which has led to suspension of some essential services in federal government owned universities across the country is dim as the government has initiated any form of negotiation with the workers over their demands.

Speaking with SaharaReporters, the Chairman of University of Lagos (UNILAG) branch of Non-Academic Staffs Union of Universities, Comrade Kehinde Ajibade accused the federal government of insensitivity to the plight of the workers.
Ajibade asked Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu to ensure that government fulfill its part of the agreement reached in 2009 with workers which led to the call off of similar strike in 2009.

“Until the federal government honor our agreement, we would not resume. The federal government should do the needful, respect our agreement and meet our demands,” said Ajibade.

Likewise, Comrade Gbenga, Acting Chairman of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANU, UNILAG branch lamented that federal government has failed to live up to the terms of agreement it signed with the union after a previous two – week warning strike.

“There was a 2-week warning strike, which we suspended because we signed a memorandum of agreement with the federal government. The memorandum stipulates payment of our two years allowance, implementation of a ruling of Industrial Court that workers in the universities’ staff schools should be absorbed to the university, end in usurpation of duties of non-teaching staff by the teaching staff among other things. But terms of agreement has not been met by the federal government until this moment of total strike.”

He, therefore, added that the responsibility of determining how soon the strike will be called off is in the hands of the federal government.

Saharareporters