ASUU halts strike after negotiation

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

National President of the union, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced the decision today, during a press briefing in Abuja.

According to Piwuna, the resolution followed a marathon meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC), which began on Tuesday and ended around 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

He explained that the warning strike was initially declared due to the government’s failure to meet the union’s longstanding demands.

“We’ve had useful engagements with representatives of the government to consider the response to the draft renegotiation of the 2009 agreements. However, we are definitely not where we were prior to the commencement of the strike,” Piwuna stated.

He added that the government had returned to the negotiation table, a move the union described as a step forward, though much work still lies ahead.

The ASUU president noted that NEC decided to review the strike action following interventions by students, parents, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

“Consequently, NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to reciprocate the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians,” he said.

Recall that ASUU declared a total and comprehensive warning strike on Monday, October 13, over the government’s delay in addressing key issues affecting university staff and institutions.

The union’s demands include the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, release of withheld three and a half months’ salaries, sustainable funding and revitalisation of public universities, and an end to the victimisation of lecturers in LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.

Other demands include the payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, four years of unpaid promotion arrears, and the release of withheld third-party deductions such as cooperative contributions and union check-off dues.