Ignore ASUU’s MOU, varsity unions urge FG

The three major non academic Staff unions in
the nation's university system have called on
the Federal Government to ignore any
Memorandum of Understanding with striking
members of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities.
The three unions are the Non-Academic Staff
Union of Education and Associated
Institutions, National Association of Academic
Technologists and Senior Staff Association of
Nigerian Universities.
The President of SSANU, Mr. Samson Ugwoke,
who is also the spokesperson of the other
unions in an electronic mail on Friday,
advised the Federal Government to ensure
implementation of agreement reached with
the various unions in the university system in
2009 rather than an MoU with ASUU.
Ugwoke said that the MoU being referred to
by ASUU in the negotiation with the Federal
Government was motivated by the selfish
interest of the university lecturers while the
2009 agreements with the unions dwelt on
issues relating to staff welfare.
He said that the demands of ASUU in the said
MoU would generate more crises in the
university sub-sector as the non-teaching staff
would resist any attempt to 'sell' the
universities to the lecturer's union.
Ugwoke called on the Federal Government to
give the deserved attention to the building of
confidence in the government through
implementation of voluntary agreement with
unions.
"We sympathise and solidarise with our sister
union, ASUU, over their long drawn struggle
for the welfare of their members. We urge the
government to build more confidence in
governance by respecting agreements it freely
enters into with unions.
"However, we caution that any settlement of
the current dispute must take into account
the interests of all the university-based
unions (NAAT, SSANU, NASU and ASUU). The
three non-teaching staff unions of NAAT,
SSANU and NASU are opposed to any
extraneous demands by either ASUU or any
group in the university which are prejudicial
to the welfare of our members.
"Our stand is that government should jettison
the so-called ASUU's Memorandum of
Understanding and concentrate on full
implementation of the 2009 FGN/unions
agreements which border on staff conditions
of service and welfare, and increased funding
to universities.
"The MOU referred to by ASUU is for their
selfish end and it is bound to generate more
crises in the university sub-sector.
"The non-teaching staff unions in the
universities will stoutly resist any attempt to
'sell' the universities to ASUU."