BREAKING: ASUU Suspends Two-week Warning Strike

BREAKING: ASUU Suspends Two-week Warning Strike

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

ASUU’s National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, disclosed this during a press briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to him, the decision followed a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting that lasted through the night and concluded around 4:00 a.m. the same day.

Piwuna explained that the union embarked on the strike due to the government’s delay in addressing its long-standing 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.

“The union acknowledged that the government returned to the negotiation table. While noting that a lot more work is still required, NEC came to the conclusion that the ongoing strike should be reviewed. The decision to review the strike action was a result of efforts by our students, parents, and the Nigeria Labour Congress.

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

It would be recalled that ASUU had declared a total and comprehensive warning strike beginning on Monday, October 13.

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

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