The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC has finally announced that July 26 and 27 dates would be pegged as National Days of Protest across the country which would be used to force the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU to resolve their issues and suspend the lingering strike action.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that ASUU on February 14, 2022, had shut down some of the public universities over the inability of the federal government to implement agreements the two parties entered into in previous years.
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ASUU and other unions have been demanding funding, revitalisation of universities, earned allowances, implementation of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) scheme, as well as promotion arrears.
It can also be recalled that the NLC had given the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to resolve the lingering issues. The ultimatum, however, elapsed without tangible moves to end the strike.
Following the expiration of the ultimatum, the NLC, in a statement issued by its president, Ayuba Wabba said the solidarity protest would take place in all the 36 states and the FCT.
The statement reads, “In line with the decision of the National Executive Council, NEC meeting of the Nigerian Labour Congress held on 30th of June 2022, we have scheduled the National Days of Protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigerians public universities fighting for quality education.
“Date, Tuesday 26th July 2022 and Wednesday 27th July 2022
“Venue: At the state capitals of the Federation and Abuja the Federal Capital Territory. Take off points: NLC state secretariats and the Labour House Abuja”.
In another report, the NLC had also reiterated its call on the Federal Government to review workers’ salaries.
Mr. Ayuba Wabba who is the NLC President had made the call when he spoke with newsmen, adding that the last salary review for civil servants was done in 2009 with an increase of 53.3 percent which was not right.
He said that the salary review for the entire public sector was imperative as it was long overdue, noting that workers’ purchasing power was ebbing.
Wabba noted that there had not been any salary increase for workers in the public sector in the last 13 years outside the implementation of the National Minimum Wage.
“We should not confuse the National Minimum Wage with salary review. Salary review is a different bargaining process which in time past was led by the Joint Service Negotiation Council. It is long overdue,’’ he said.