Ignore ASUU’s MOU, varsity unions urge FG

The three major non academic Staff
unions in the nation’s university system
have called on the Federal Government
to ignore any Memorandum of
Understanding with striking members of
the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The three unions are the Non-Academic
Staff Union of Education and Associated
Institutions, National Association of
Academic Technologists and Senior Staff
Association of Nigerian Universities.
The President of SSANU, Mr. Samson
Ugwoke, who is also the spokesperson
of the other unions in an electronic mail
on Friday, advised the Federal
Government to ensure implementation
of agreement reached with the various
unions in the university system in 2009
rather than an MoU with ASUU.
Ugwoke said that the MoU being
referred to by ASUU in the negotiation
with the Federal Government was
motivated by the selfish interest of the
university lecturers while the 2009
agreements with the unions dwelt on
issues relating to staff welfare.
He said that the demands of ASUU in
the said MoU would generate more
crises in the university sub-sector as the
non-teaching staff would resist any
attempt to ‘sell’ the universities to the
lecturer’s union.
Ugwoke called on the Federal
Government to give the deserved
attention to the building of confidence
in the government through
implementation of voluntary agreement
with unions.
“We sympathise and solidarise with our
sister union, ASUU, over their long
drawn struggle for the welfare of their
members. We urge the government to
build more confidence in governance by
respecting agreements it freely enters
into with unions.
“However, we caution that any
settlement of the current dispute must
take into account the interests of all the
university-based unions (NAAT, SSANU,
NASU and ASUU). The three non-
teaching staff unions of NAAT, SSANU
and NASU are opposed to any
extraneous demands by either ASUU or
any group in the university which are
prejudicial to the welfare of our
members.
“Our stand is that government should
jettison the so-called ASUU’s
Memorandum of Understanding and
concentrate on full implementation of
the 2009 FGN/unions agreements which
border on staff conditions of service and
welfare, and increased funding to
universities.
“The MOU referred to by ASUU is for
their selfish end and it is bound to
generate more crises in the university
sub-sector.
“The non-teaching staff unions in the
universities will stoutly resist any
attempt to ‘sell’ the universities to
ASUU.”