ABUJA, OCTOBER 5, 2018 – The Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU) has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to lead the process of making organised labour one indivisible entity.
NASU President Chris Ani, who spoke in Abuja at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union, argued that a strong and virile unified labour centre would be in a position to champion better condition of service for workers.
“We strongly believe in the unification of all labour centres into one strong and virile labour centre that will be able to deliver on the mandate of Nigerian workers. We urge the NLC to take the driver’s seat in the effort for the unification of the labour centres in Nigeria into one formidable united front,” Ani said.
Calling on states to implement the peculiarity allowance to non-teaching staff employed in primary and post-primary educational boards, he urged its members to mobilise against state governors that are not sympathetic to workers’ welfare.
Ani said: “NASU members in primary, post-primary and technical education boards across the length and breadth of Nigeria have suffered tremendous hardship as a result of the refusal of some state governments to accord the payment of salaries the priority it deserves.”
Commending the affected NASU members for their resilience and perseverance, he urged members, who have been negatively affected by non-payment of salaries in some states, to ensure that they joined other workers in their states to vote out such governors and their parties in the forthcoming election.
According to Ani, this is to replace them with those who will treat the payment of salaries as a priority. “NASU members are, therefore, advised to use their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) wisely as any attempt to return these insensitive politicians will amount to voting for continuous hunger and non-payment of salaries for another four years,” he added.
The union commended the government for inaugurating renegotiation committees for the polytechnics and colleges of education, but expressed disappointment at the committees, which have failed to meet since inauguration.
NASU President lauded the government for approving additional N8 billion for the payment of earned allowances to non-teaching staff in the universities. He urged the Federal Ministry of Education to facilitate the process of fund disbursement to members of the three unions in the universities and inter-university centres as soon as possible.
The union admonished the government to put an end to non-payment of earned allowances by ensuring that henceforth the allowances are paid monthly and provision made for the allowances in the 2019 budget.
NASU also called on government to put an end to the payment of salaries in percentages to staff of universities in line with the memorandum of understanding entered into with the three non-teaching unions in the education sector.
The union described as appalling the nonchalant attitude of the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe and other Ministers whose ministries supervise research institutions in the country.
It added: “The lukewarm attitude shown by them on issues bothering on the welfare and conditions of service of staff of the sector does not indicate that they are interested in research and development of the country.
