ASUU suspends warning strike, acknowledges progress in negotiating 2009 agreement

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its two-week warning strike.

Chris Piwuna, president of ASUU, addressed the press on Wednesday after an overnight national executive council (NEC) meeting that ended at 4:00 am.

ASUU had embarked on a warning strike on October 13 over its dissatisfaction with the federal government’s response to its demands.

The demands were listed as including the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of withheld salaries, and sustainable funding for the revitalisation of public universities.

Others are the payment of outstanding 25-35% salary arrears, payment of over four years of promotion arrears, and the release of withheld third-party deductions like cooperative contributions and union check-off dues.

The union also called for the cessation of the victimisation of lecturers in LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.

Piwuna noted that the decision to suspend the strike was taken to “reciprocate the efforts of well-meaning” Nigerians, including students, parents, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

He acknowledged that there have been “useful engagements” with government representatives regarding the draft renegotiation of the 2009 agreements, as the union is not where it was before the commencement of the strike.

Piwuna said, “A lot more work is still required.”

The NEC, the ASUU president added, concluded that the strike should be reviewed given the government’s return to the negotiation table.