NASU threatens to resume strike over earned allowances

By Bimbola Oyesola

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), yesterday, threatened to resume its suspended strike if the Federal Government failed to bridge the gap in the payment of earned allowances in the nation’s universities.

This is even as it called for upward review of salaries of workers as the inflation has continued to make workers earning inadequate for their sustenance.

President of NASU, Dr. Makolo Hassan, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja said close to five years, the Non-Teaching Staff Unions in the Universities and Inter-University Centres have fought relentlessly over the disproportionate sharing formula of 80/20 percent and 75/25 per cent to the Academic and Non-Teaching Staff in the Universities.

“The core of equity theory says that individuals judge the fairness of their treatment based on how others like them are treated. It is hard for an employee to feel motivated in the workplace if he or she feels that he or she is being treated unfairly.”

He noted that the unending crisis associated with the unjustified sharing formula of the earned allowance in the universities and inter-university centres calls to question the sincerity of this government toward the fight against corruption.

Heclaimed that government officials have not hidden their bias towards academic staff against the non-teaching staff of universities and inter-university Centres in the payment of earned allowances.

“The sharing of the previous releases for the Earned Allowance will give you an idea of what is going on. Second tranche of earned allowance – year 2017- N23 billion was released at the rate of 89 per cent to ASUU and 11 per cent to non-teaching staff. Supplementary of N8 billion was later released to non-teaching staff. Third tranche of earned allowance – Year 2019 – N25 billion was released at the rate of 80 per cent to ASUU and 20 percent to non-teaching staff.

“Fourth tranche of earned allowance – year 2021 – N40 billion was released at the rate of  75 percent to ASUU and 25 per cent to non-teaching Staff.”