The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has begged FG to meet their demands in order to call off strike.
NASU’s General Secretary, Mr Peters Adeyemi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the no work, no pay directive issued by the government would further compound the strike.
Adeyemi said the chairmen of Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics had met with the leadership of NASU, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics to plead with them to suspend the strike.
“At the end of the meeting, we made our stand known, that the union would not accept the payment of Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (CONTISS) 15 arrears in two instalments, March and November, as proposed by the government.
“We also said that most of the other issues raised in our demands have not been met and so, we will not suspend the strike until government meets all.
“Paying CONTISS arrears in two instalments will only devalue the money for our members; the money is not much and we want them to receive it with joy.
“The council promised to deliver our message back to the government,’’ he said.
According to Adeyemi, the union got a message from the council that the Supervising Minister for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, had directed that the salaries of the striking union be stopped.
“The threat will not solve the problem; it will only compound it and frustrate efforts made by both parties to end the strike.
“The no work, no pay threat by government is not a new thing; government used it during the ASUU strike and it did not work, it is a strategy to force our members back to work.
“It is obvious that government wants to frustrate us; why will the government not address the problem rather than intimidate us,’’ he said.
Adeyemi said that the union would convene a meeting in April to discuss the no work, no pay directive with its members.
“So far, the few members we have spoken to about the directive, vowed to continue with the strike.
“We will hold a meeting to sample the opinion of our members but so far, most of them said the threat will not cripple the ongoing strike,’’ he said.
Adeyemi, however, urged the government to meet the demands of all striking unions, to save the future of Nigerian students.
NAN reports that NASU embarked on an indefinite strike on Nov. 4, 2013 over the non-implementation of the 2010 Agreement, it reached with the government.
The government had on March 4 appealed to the Chairmen of Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria to prevail on the striking unions to end their strike.
The union’s demands include payment of CONTISS 15 arrears in one instalment and budgetary provision to sustain its payment.
It also wants a re-negotiation of the FG-NASU 2010 Agreement, and the exclusion of its members from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Management System among others.
NAN reports that the CONTISS 15 Agreement was signed in 2010 by officials of the union and the government. (NAN)
