7th March, 2018
The Federal Government has pleaded with the Non-Teaching Staff of the Nigerian Universities to suspend the three months strike they embarked upon since Dec.10 2017.
Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment made the appeal in a statement signed by Mr Samuel Olowookere, Director, Press in the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja.
There had been conciliatory meeting with the Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities called at the instance of the minister.
The Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities operating under the acronym Joint Action Committee, JAC are made of the Non Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (NASU), Senior Staff Academic of Nigerian Universities(SSANU) National Association of Academic Technologists, (NAAT).
JAC had accused the Federal Government of breaching the agreement entered with the unions in Sept. 2017 that had led to the suspension of the strike the unions embarked on.
The minister said that the current administration was taking steps to permanently resolve all outstanding matters that disrupt academic activities in the universities.
He also said that measures were being taken by the government to settle the trade dispute with the Joint Action Committee.
He, therefore, appealed to them to call off the strike.
Mr Samson Ugwoke, JAC Chairman, said that the Federal Government had called for the reconciliatory to plead with the unions to call off the strike.
Ugwoke said that JAC would summon a meeting tomorrow to brief its members with a view to calling off their strike.
The meeting which had the leadership of the unions and the officials of the Federal Ministry of Education in attendance deliberated exhaustively on all the outstanding issues raised by the unions.