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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Academic Staff Union of Universities, Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, (ASUU-MOUAU) chapter has called on Nigerians to intervene by appealing to Federal Government to quickly re-commence and conclude the current re-negotiation, to enable students go back to campuses.
In a statement by Michael Ugwuene, Chairman, and Paul Nwiyi, Secretary of ASUU-MOUAU, the union recalled that on August 16, the Federal Government/ASUU Renegotiation committee chaired by Prof. Nimi-Briggs met. It said at the meeting, the government presented a Recommended Consolidated Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS), awarding increases of 35 percent and 25 percent of current salaries to Professors at bar, and other ranks respectively.
It condemned the fact that the award prepared by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC) was unilateral and a total breach of the provisions of all national and international legislations on which the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was based.
It explained: “The Renegotiation process is expected to have inputs of both government and ASUU teams as required by Trade Dispute Act of 1976; ILO Conventions 49 of 1948, 91 of 1950, 154 of 1988, and Recommendation 153 of 1981; as well as the Udoji Commission Report of 1974; and the Cookey Commission Report of 1981 for the resolution of issues of Salaries and Conditions of Service of University Staff and funding, and other related issues”.
ASUU said it was on this basis that the Union, in a statement dated August 18, rejected the unilateral award of salary by the government. It added: “A negotiated salary affords industrial harmony because the worker has made an input. A negotiated salary is a right, an awarded salary is potentially arbitrary.” It noted that the salary award did not only take into consideration the prevailing economic situation in the country before arriving at their decision but also left many questions unanswered.
