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Tag: National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT)

  • SSANU, NASU, NAAT to commence indefinite strike Sept. 11

    SSANU, NASU, NAAT to commence indefinite strike Sept. 11

    Non-teaching staff of Nigerian Universities under the auspices of Joint Action Committee ( JAC ) says it will embark on indefinite strike from Monday, Sept. 11 over non-implementation of the 2009 agreement.

    The unions are made up of the National Association of Academic Technologists ( NAAT ), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions ( NASU ) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities ( SSANU ).

    A statement jointly signed by Mr Sani Suleiman,  Mr Chris Ani and Mr Samson Ugwoke, Presidents of NAAT, NASU and SSANU made this known in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Ugokwe said that the Federal Government was taking the non-teaching staff of universities for granted as it had breached the implementation of agreement of 2009 and Memorandum of Understanding signed with JAC in January 2017.

    He said the unions had waited for eight years for the government to implement the agreement it freely entered into with them.

    According to him, eight years after the agreement, government has not been responsive to the demands of the unions and no action appears to have been taken on any of the issues.

    “Our demands includes, the payment of earned allowances to our members, a review of the governance system in our universities.

    “Improved funding in line with UNESCO recommendations, provisions of infrastructure in universities and payment of salary shortfall being owed members.

    “Implementation of the National Industrial Court judgment on University staff schools, registration of NUPEMCO, implementation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for technologists, improvement of teaching and learning facilities in the universities.

    “Stemming the tide of corruption in the university system, showing more commitment and seriousness in the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/University unions agreement, among others,” he said.

    He said that during the strike, there would be no provisions of services, no matter how skeletal.

    He said that concessions would not be granted “while all our members are to stay at home till further notice unless as directed by JAC through their respective presidents.”

    He, however, noted that the unions had engaged in various consultations and dialogues with government on the issues at stake and had written several letters and embarked on several protest to no avail.

    Ugwoke said that several representations made by the unions  had been ignored by the government.

    “Rather than address the demands of the union as contained in the agreement, universities have continued to deteriorate.

    “Also, poor governance system has become the order of the day and has brought the universities to their knees,” he said.

    He also alleged that corruption had taken its toll on the university system, while infrastructure and facilities were nothing to write home about, among others.

  • Protest as FUOYE management suspends union leaders

    Protest as FUOYE management suspends union leaders

    Workers of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) on Monday commenced an indefinite strike against alleged victimisation, intimidation and non-payment of hazard allowances.

    Acting under the auspices of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), they also staged a public protest at the school gate and exchanged words with policemen on ground.

    The protesters heckled a team of armed policemen led by Oye Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Sadiku Afolabi, a Superintendent of Police, who warned them against blocking the access road to the campus.

    But the university management has suspended the union leaders for allegedly disrupting the meeting the Governing Council held on the campus last week.

    The angry workers who massed at the gate where they held an emergency congress accused the management of sitting on the promotion of those employed at the inception of the institution while the newly-employed ones were promoted.

    NAAT Chairman, Ekundayo Ajibaye, demanded the withdrawal queries issued them and dissolution of panels allegedly set up to intimidate workers.

    He also said the workers want the immediate constitution of Budget Monitoring Committees alleging financial impropriety against the management.

    Ajibaye said: “We are fighting impunity and corruption is at its peak in FUOYE and we want the Federal Government to beam its searchlight here.”

    NASU Chairman, Dada Adebayo, said workers resorted to industrial action because the management allegedly reneged on the agreement reached after the last crisis in January.

    SSANU Chairman, Babafunso Awe accused the management of being insensitive to workers’ plight saying they won’t back down until all their demands are met.

    Awe also alleged that management has refused to release workers’ cooperative funds which has caused them hardship.

    Reacting, FUOYE spokesman Godfrey Bakji said unions had no basis to go on strike because their leaders have been suspended.

    Bakji described the workers allegation of corruption, intimidation, victimisation and impunity as untrue, baseless, unfounded and an attempt to blackmail the management.

    He said: “The management has issued suspension letters to SSANU and NASU leaders for disrupting a meeting of the governing council.

    “The Council directed that they be issued queries and they were given an opportunity to defend themselves which they failed to take advantage of.

    “On the issue of promotion, those who were qualified for promotion were issued their letters last week.

    “The Act establishing the university does not give room for everybody to be promoted at once, there are processes to be followed.”

    He urged the workers to allow peace to reign, return to their duty posts and see reason with management.

     

  • Ondo Varsity resumes academic activities after weeks of strike

    Ondo Varsity resumes academic activities after weeks of strike

    The Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) in Okitipupa has resumed academic activities  after a six-week strike.

    A visit by a correspondent of NAN to the main and the mini campuses on Tuesday showed that the administrative staff was at their duty posts screening new students and registering returning students.

    The unions: Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) in a joint  communiqué on Saturday directed all staff to resume on Monday.

    Mr. Felix Akinnusi, the Acting Registrar, told NAN that both the students and staff had fully resumed.

    “We have resumed fully for the first semester of 2016/2017 academic session with our 100-level students undergoing screening.

    “Our old students are also doing their registration.

    “Although the strike affected academic activities, we will make up for the lost time as the senate will meet to deliberate on it and new academic calendar,” Akinusi said.

    He said that the institution was in high spirit under a new governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and a new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sunday Ogunduyile.

    The unions embarked on an indefinite strike on Jan. 23 in order to compel the former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adegoke Adegbite, to resign his appointment over alleged gross misconduct, corruption and abuse of office.

    The unions also demanded adequate funding, urgent facelift of the institution and appointment of a substantive vice-chancellor.

  • Varsity non-teaching staff call off strike

    Striking university workers made up of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists have suspended their five day warning strike.
    The strike was called off after a two day meeting called by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and attended by officials of the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission and National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission.
    A letter signed by leaders of the three unions, Com. Alh. Sani Suleiman President NAAT, Com. Peters Adeyemi, Gen. Sec. NASU, and Com. Samson Ugwoke President SSANU directed members to return to work immediately.
    The letter reads in part. “This is to inform you that the leadership of JAC met with the Federal Government team led by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator (Dr.)Chris Ngige, on Wednesday, 18th January, 2017 and resolved the issues in dispute.”
    “in view of this healthy development therefore, you are hereby directed to convene the meeting of JAC Congress today, 19th January 2017 to suspend the strike action for work to resume on Friday, 20th January 2017.”
    The minister of Labour had appealed to the workers to call off their strike and return to the negotiating table in accordance with international labour conventions.
    The meeting which started at about 3.30 pm on Wednesday, January 18,m2017 was concluded at about 3.00pm and had to be conducted in an atmosphere of total blackout due to power outage at the federal secretariat in which those in attendance were forced to put on the flash light on their phones for visibility was concluded on Thursday.
    Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige said the meeting agreed on five of the issues raised by the unions, which include earned allowances, shortfall in salaries, university staff schools, corruption in universities and what the government is doing to curtail such corruption and protect whistle blowers that are being victimized.
    He said: “On earned allowances, the meeting agreed that since federal government has taken it up to audit past releases, the committee set up by government to carry out the audit should be urged to expedient action and conclude the function so that the National Assembly will know what to appropriate to take care of it.”
    He said the meeting also agreed that the government was already addressing the issue of short fall in personnel cost with the virement sent to the National Assembly in December which will take care of the issue.
    He also said that the government has set up a committee to advice it on how to implement the judgement of the National Industrial Court on university staff schools adding that the meeting urged government to ensure the meeting takes off next week to address the issue.
    The Minister had earlier told the unions that the ministry decided to wade into the dispute with a view to resolving it and pave the way for social dialogue among stakeholders in the interest of the nation’s educational system.