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Tag: Non–Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU)

  • Don’t force govt. to invoke no work, no pay rule – Ngige

    Don’t force govt. to invoke no work, no pay rule – Ngige

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has warned striking none teaching staff of Nigerian Universities not to Force the government into invoking the relevant sections of the Labour laws of no work, no pay against them, asking them to immediately call of their indefinite strike action and make a fresh case for “skewed disbursement of the N23 billion released to the Universities.

    In a state signed by the Deputy Director, Press in the Ministry, Samuel Olowookore, the Minister said the government was fully complied with the 12 point demands contained in the memorandum of settlement signed between the unions and the government on September 20, 2017.

    Ngige asked the union leaders to stop misguiding their members and avoid pushing the Federal Government to a situation where it will invoke the relevant section of the labour laws on No Work, No Pay, saying it will be disastrous in the season of Christmas and end of the year if implemented.

    According to him, the Federal Government has not only fully met all the twelve-point condition raised in the Memorandum of Settlement reached  with the Non-Teaching Staff of Federal Universities on September 20, 2017 but has also complied faithfully with the timelines for the implementation of the agreement .

    The non-teaching staff of Nigerian Universities made up of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) National Association of Academic Technologists(NAAT) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) operating under the acronym of the Joint Action Committe on Monday commenced a nationwide strike accusing the government of deceit and not living by the agreement signed with them.

    But while disputing the claims of the unions, the Minister asked them to call off the on-going indefinite strike and make a fresh case in respect of its reservation on the implementation of the Point One of the Agreement concerning the disbursement of the N23 billion Naira Earned Allowances.

    Ngige said it was important for Nigerians to be informed that the Federal Government has fully complied with its own part of the agreement and asked the non-teaching staff of universities not to blame the Federal Government for what the striking unions termed the “skewed disbursement formula” for the N23 billion Earned Allowances released by the Federal Government.

    According to him, “The Joint Action Committee of Non-Teaching Staff came with twelve-point demand. We sat over it and agreed on all, on September 20, 2017. As I speak, the Federal Government has fully implemented the major contemporary issues such as payment of shortfalls, registration with PENCOM etc. in the agreement.

    “The only grievance the unions have today is that the modality for the disbursement of the N23 billion the Federal Government released for the settlement of earned allowances is skewed against them.

    “But I advised them during the negotiation to call off their strike when it entered the fifth day and quickly forward their own template for accessing this N23 billion meant for the academic and non-academic staff of the universities, since the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had already submitted. They bluntly refused and dragged the strike for weeks.”

    The Minister however said that nothing has been lost and urged the unions to make a fresh case for inclusion in the 2018 budget, adding that the Federal Government was willing to address this, urging the unions to immediately call off their strike.

    Ngige flawed the argument that “they only resumed an old strike,” saying that a strike which has been adequately conciliated, called off, and the terms of agreement implemented, cannot yield itself as a basis for resumption of the same action. “If the unions under JAC are embarking on a fresh strike, they are yet to comply with the relevant sections of the Labour Laws for embarking on action.”

  • NLC threatens to name, shame governors owing salaries

    NLC threatens to name, shame governors owing salaries

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to name and shame state governors, who refused to pay complete salaries to workers in the country, in spite of the bailout funds.

    Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President said this at the National Executive Council meeting of the Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Wabba said that some state governors have refused to effectively utilise both the bailout funds and the Paris Club refund given to them by the Federal Government.

    According to him, 10 out of the 36 states are particularly guilty of the offence, while six of the ten states were in terrible situation. We have promised to name and shame them.

    “The congress has directed all states chapters whose members are owed more than three months’ salaries arrears to declare an industrial action and we have promised to name and shame them.

    “The states include Imo that has been paying workers’ salaries in percentage and has not declared utilization of the bailout fund and Paris club refund.

    “”They paid 40 per cent pension to their pensioners without their consent and provided a form for them to sign under duress. That is not allowed in law.

    “We have Bayelsa which has between five to 10 months’ arrears, Ondo is owing between four and six, Ekiti, (five to eight), Benue (five to eight) and Kogi which is the worst case scenario.

    “We have three category of workers in Kogi. We have 40 per cent that are being paid up to date, we have 25 per cent that had not been paid between eight and sixteen months.

    “We also have another 25 per cent that have not been paid between eight and twenty-one months.

    “In all the sectors, they have categorised the workers into three categories,” he said.

    The president also listed Osun, Ebonyi, Zamfara and Abia among others still owing salaries and non-implementation of the 2011 National Minimum Wage for workers.

    Wabba while speaking on the issue of increase tariff, warned the government against approving another increase in electricity tariff.

    He said that the congress would mobilise its affiliates, social partners and other Nigerians to resist any further increase.

    He noted that Nigerians were yet to get good services for the previous increment which has been declared illegal by the court.

    “The twin issue of fuel price increase and electricity tariff has made nonsense of the minimum wage. We have not been able to justify that 45 per cent increase.

    “But now, they are coming again with another increase. Let me say emphatically that NLC as an Organisation and all our affiliates will resist any attempt to increase the electricity tariff again,”he warned.

    Earlier, Mr Chris Ani, National President of NASU, said the current agitation for restructuring and fiscal federalism were attempts to divert attention from misgovernance and ineptitude the nation has been going through.

    Ani said that Nigerians should not be distracted by elements that have actively participated in the looting and mismanagement of our economy and can be found in the two major political parties.

    “What Nigeria workers need at this point in time is not whether more power should be given to states, but to know how they have managed the power at their disposal at the moment,”he said.

    He, however, urged the government to ensure improved welfare and benefits, jobs security, prompt payment of salaries, among others for workers in the country.

  • Strike: FG, non-teaching varsity workers reach agreement

    Strike: FG, non-teaching varsity workers reach agreement

    The Federal Government and the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the non-teaching staff of Nigerian Universities have  reached an agreement over the ongoing  strike by the workers.

    The Minister of  Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige,  said this at a conciliatory meeting with the leadership of the JAC of the unions and other officials of the Ministry of Education on Friday in Abuja.

    It would be recalled that the non-teaching staff of Nigerian universities under the auspices of JAC embarked on  strike on Monday  over non- implementation of the 2009 agreement.

    The workers belong to the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities ( SSANU).

    The demands of the unions included  the payment of earned allowances, a review of the governance system in universities and  improved funding in line with UNESCO recommendations.

    Other demands included  provision  of infrastructure  in universities and payment of salary shortfall being owed members, implementation of the National Industrial Court judgment on university staff schools and  registration of NUPEMCO, the Pension Fund Administrator  proposed for university workers.

    Ngige, however, said agreements had been reached on all  the issues raised by the workers.

    “We held discussions on all these areas and we reached agreement  on all of them;  government has already approved and released  some N23 billion for earned allowances in the universities.

    “This is for teaching and non-teaching staff of the various universities in Nigeria.

    “ We agreed on this that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation is to expedite action on  mandate for this payment.

    “We have the issue of  shortfall;  the issue is already being addressed and some universities are already credited with some amount of money for their short falls, ‘’ he said.

    On the implementation of  NIC judgment  for  staff schools, he said that government through the National Universities Commission had  issued circulars directing the universities to implement the judgement.

    He also said  the Salaries and Wages Income Commission had  initiated the process of ensuring compliance with the NIC judgment, expressing the hope that this would  be completed within four weeks.

    On  non-registration of NUPEMCO as Pension Fund Administrator, he said  that the process had begun and a  consultant would be handling  this  on behalf of the unions.

    “ We have also reiterated our commitment that the appropriate filled forms and particulars be  submitted within one week while the Federal Ministry of Education will expedite action to bringing out the certificates.

    “ Also on the negotiation of the 2009 agreement,  we realised that Babalakin  Committee is handling that and has collected memorandum from the various unions,’’ he added.

    Ngige, who also reacted to the issue of inadequate infrastructure and  poor funding of universities, said the Ministry of Education was in the process of inaugurating a nine-man committee that would develop an alternative means of sourcing for  funds.

    He also said that the meeting jointly agreed that government should intensify  efforts  to checkmate the excesses of corrupt officials in the university system.

    The meeting  further  agreed that  universities  should also operate the Treasury Single Account  and that the office of the Accountant General of the Federation should  investigate cases of those operating multiple accounts.

    “We also agreed that government should expedite action and send visitation panels to federal universities that have not been visited and revisit the previous visitation panels for the purpose of implementation of their recommendations.

    “ Again on whistle blowing which is the new anti-corruption policy of this administration, government agreed with the unions that  whistle blowers should be protected

    “On the issue of CONTISS  14 and CONTISS  15 for technologists,  the technologists’  union, NAAT,  is to provide the Federal Ministry of Education with information that would assist the ministry to develop appropriate scheme of service for the new cadres  among others.

    “Finally,  it was agreed that the union members should not be victimised on  account of this journey they have undertaken to go on strike and the unions also are to revert to government on Wednesday,  Sept. 20,   after presenting  this to their  National Executive Councils, ‘’he said.

    Mr Samson Ugwoke, the National Chairman of JAC,  commended the labour minister  for his  honesty and commitment  in ensuring that the strike was called off.

    “We have all dotted these items one by one and agreed on  them, but you know we are messengers;  we were sent  here by our principals and we cannot endorse any of these as either  an agreement or MOU

    “So, what we agreed on today, on these issues that  we have put our heads together  on,  will be taken back to our various National Executive Councils  for deliberation  and we will  report by Wednesday, Sept. 20, ”  he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting between the Federal Government and the unions lasted about  11 hours.

  • University workers to begin strike

    University workers to begin strike

    University workers  have issued a strike notice  to press home their demand for the implementation of their 2009 agreement with the Federal Government.

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is on strike over the same matter.

    The federal government delegation is meeting with the lecturers today to get them to end the strike.

    The non teaching members 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) said the government was taking them for granted.

    The unions said they had waited for eight years for the government to implement the agreement.

    Speaking at a joint news conference in Abuja, President of SSANU Comrade Samson Ugokwe, said eight years after the agreement, the government had not been responsive to the demands of the unions, pointing out that no action appeared to have been taken on any of the issues.

    The demands of the three unions include:

    • The payment of Earned Allowances
    • Review of the governance system in universities
    • Improved funding in line with UNESCO recommendations
    • Provisions of infrastructure in universities and payment of salary shortfall

    Other demand include 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, turning the tide of corruption in the university system, showing more commitment and seriousness in the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/University unions agreement and ensuring the headship of non teaching units by non teaching staff employed for the purpose of the units.

    Ugokwe said during the strike, there will be no provision of services no matter how skeletal.

    He said: “If an agreement was signed in 2009 and now in 2017, we are still asking for the implementation of such agreement, does it not show that we have been exceedingly patient?

    “Unfortunately, seven years after, we are still at the sorry situation we were before the MOU as the issues in contention were not addressed and government t kept a dead silence despite letters and entreaties reminding them, of their commitment to the non teaching staff unions”

  • 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.

  • 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.