Non-Academic unions of tertiary institutions are threatening to continue with their strike over the sharing formula of the N40billion Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) recently approved by the Federal Government.
This was disclosed in a report by The Nation on Thursday morning. The Unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, (SSANU); Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
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The Unions expressed reservations that out of the N4billion Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), only 25% is allocated to them, with 75% allocated to ASUU.
Ibeji Nwokomma, National President of NAAT, said the allocation given to non-ASUU unions is “inadequate”, citing the 2009 agreements as basis for the Earned Allowances.
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- “My union is rejecting the sharing formula of the Earned Allowances as it is being done by the government. Government has allocated 75 per cent to ASUU and 25 per cent to all other non-teaching unions in the universities. This is grossly inadequate. That is robbing Peter to pay Paul and using divide and rule in the university system. No union, not even ASUU, has the monopoly of opening or closing of schools through strike. Other unions also have that capacity to ensure that the system does not work.
- “Secondly, my union, ASUU and other unions negotiated with the government; So, if payment of Earned Allowances will be based on unions, it should be on the basis of the 2009 Agreement, which is where the Earned Allowances is derived from. Lumping my union with other non-teaching staff is neither here nor there and totally unacceptable to us.
- “My union is asking that our own Earned Allowances should be specified, whatever it is should be specified just like they did to ASUU. If nothing is done, we will close down the system until we are fairly treated.”
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Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, National President of SSANU said his union will not take the sharing formula, describing it as ‘lopsided’,
- “We have stated before now that the least we can take is 50-50, they are not more in numbers. And even if they want to do something like that maybe this is my own personal opinion, I may not insist on 50-50 but at least something reasonable. We have so many numbers. If they give for example 60-40, do you think the noise will be there? Government does not want peace if it is giving 75 per cent to only one union and giving 25 per cent to three unions, does it make sense? Certainly, my members are more than willing to down tools if this becomes a reality.”
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What you should know
- Nairametrics reported that the FG said it processed for payment, the sum of N70 billion, comprising N40billion for Earned Academic Allowances/Earned Allowances and N30billion for revitalization of the universities.
- The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, announced this week that it has reached an agreement with the Federal Government over major issues that will lead to the end of its strike.
READ: Minister of Labour says ASUU will call off its strike in January