FG proposes 40% pay rise for ASUU as union’s ultimatum expires
In a move to prevent a potential strike action, the Federal Government summoned the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to a meeting in Abuja on Monday.
The meeting, according to reports, was said to have lasted until Tuesday, as both parties declined to make the discussions public in adherence to its negotiation rules.
With the expiration of ASUU’s one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government last Saturday, the Federal Government, according to anonymous sources, is proposing a 40 percent salary increase for lecturers under the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The proposal is coming as the union’s National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Sunday reached a decision to return to the negotiation table with the Federal Government delegation.
With Branch leaders now expected to communicate the development to their members nationwide, an anonymous source from the NEC meeting said the union would continue negotiations with the government.
“They made a proposal of a 40% salary increment. Branch leaders will go back and update members on the situation. As it stands, negotiations continue with the government next week,” the source said.
Recall that ASUU had suspended its two weeks warning strike after the government, according to the union, returned to the negotiation table.
The President of ASUU Prof Chris Piwuna, while calling off the nationwide strike in a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday October 29, had said that the union “had useful engagements with representatives of the government to consider the response to the draft renegotiation of the 2009 agreements”.
“The union acknowledged that the government returned to the negotiation table. While noting that a lot more work is still required, NEC came to the conclusion that the ongoing strike should be reviewed. The decision to review the strike action was a result of efforts by our students, parents, and the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“Consequently, NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to reciprocate the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians,” Piwuna had said, while giving the Federal Government one month to conclude the negations and meet the union’s demands.
With the expiration of the one month deadline, the union, faced with a decision to commence further negotiations with the Federal Government or declare a full nationwide strike, decided to proceed further dialogue, in the wake of the 40% percent salary increase proposal.
Part of the union’s demands included the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of withheld three and a half months’ salaries, revitalisation of public universities, sustainable funding of public universities, among others.
