After 56 days of lingering industrial action, the Academic Staff Union of Universities ((ASUU) has acceded to a meeting with the Federal Government, represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.
The meeting was scheduled for Monday and would have representatives of both sides in attendance.
The Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Patience Onuobia, in a notice of meeting released on Monday, said Ngige will chair the meeting himself.
“The Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, will be meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities today by 5 pm,” the notice informed.
ASUU had on Monday, February 14, 2022, embarked on a four-week, total and comprehensive warning strike, as negotiations between it and the federal government failed.
ASUU’s demands include the release of revitalization funds for universities, renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, release of earned allowances for university lecturers, and deployment of the UTAS payment platform for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers.
As the initial four weeks of the warning strike expired, however, the union had proceeded with another eight weeks’, noting that it was giving the government more time to attend to its needs.