THE Joint Action Committee of universities’ non-academic workers has threatened to resume its suspended strike.
The workers are accusing the Federal Government of failing to implement the agreement, which led to the suspension of the industrial action.
The Non-Academic Staff Union General Secretary, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, told The Nation that 12 weeks after signing the agreement, the government had not implemented it, pointing out that union was sad about this.
He said the three unions that made up of the Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the National Association of Academic Technologists on Monday, June 11 met over the matter and decided to resume the strike.
But Labour and Employment Minister, Senator Chris Ngige denied reneging on the agreement, assuring that the government would pay them.
Adeyemi said: “The strike was basically on the fact that the government reneged on its agreement with us on a number of issues. When our members insisted, we had to resume the suspended strike, which lasted for six weeks. We had a meeting with the government and we were promised. They asked us to allow them finalise some of the contacts they were making and for the Presidency to release some funds. They pleaded that we should give them five weeks. But it is about 12 weeks and nothing has happened.
“Our members are seriously agitated because nobody is talking to us about anything. That is the most unfortunate thing that has happened to us in the industrial relation arena in our country. The government will sign an MoU with Labour and go to bed. JAC called another meeting for Monday.
“It is most likely that the suspended strike will have to be restarted. We prevailed on our members after the expiration of the five weeks to give government more time. We have been moving around talking to those concerned, but there has been nothing positive from government. It is a very sad development.”