The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has expressed optimism that the non-teaching staff of Nigerian universities will on Monday end their week-long strike, following an agreement reached with the Federal Government during their last meeting.
Recall that the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and Non-Academic Staff Union of the Universities, NASU, under a Joint Action Committee, JAC, had on February 5 embarked on, to compel the Federal Government to address their demands.
Issuing a statement on Friday signed by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Charles Akpan, the minister refuted speculations that their last meeting ended in deadlock.
According to him, the Federal Government has reached an agreement with the leadership of the unions to call of their strike, latest Monday.
Mr Ngige added that the agreements were reached by parties with timelines, which were documented as Memorandum of Understanding, MOU.
“The meeting did not end in deadlock. Rather, agreements were reached on some issues with timelines and these were documented as Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and given to leaders of the two unions to go and consult their people with a view to calling off the strike latest by Monday, February 15, 2021,” Ngige said.
He added that five issues discussed had agreements, while only one had a proposal, which was a government proposal for the unions to go back and discuss with their organs.
But the leadership of the striking workers were yet to disclose their stand on the agreement as at the time of filing this report.
