NASU Gives FG 14-Day Ultimatum

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to government to begin the implementation of an agreement signed with it or face industrial action.

This is contained in a communiqué issued and signed by the Deputy President, Wakili Tijani, Chairman of the Trade Union Group (TGC) of NASU and Deputy General Secretary 1, Research and Project (TGC), Emma Okonkwo.

In the communique which was issued at the end of the union’s meeting in Abuja on Sunday, the union lauded the intervention of Ministers of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Labour and Productivity, but berated government for not showing any urgency to implement the agreement.

“The council-in-session noted that the six weeks of grace given the Federal Government to look positively into the grey areas of the agreement has lapsed without any meaningful resolution in sight.”

It, therefore, called on government to as a matter of urgency, expedite action in getting this matter resolved within the next 14 days, with effect from 19 November, 2012, or the union may be compelled to resume the suspended strike action in the sector.

It said a letter purportedly written to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC) not to implement the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS) for workers in the research institutions may also add more than one dimension to the problem.

The union stressed that the letter with reference number SWC/S/04S.317/ VOL.11/188 and dated 27 August, 2012, addressed to the Minister of Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, not to pay the new salary structure was offensive and insensitive.