Were intellectuals, not casual workers ASUU condemns half salary

ABUJA-THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has described the half-salary payment to its members by the federal government following the suspension of its eight months old strike as an aberration.

It regretted that after it suspended the strike, the response of government towards ASUU’s demonstration of trust was the so-called ‘pro-rata’ payment for eighteen days as the October 2022 salaries of academics thereby portraying them as daily paid workers!

ASUU, in the statement released Tuesday, and signed by its president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, following the National Executive Committee, NEC meeting it held Monday, in Abuja, said, “paying academics on “pro-rata” basis, like casual workers, is unprecedented in the history of university oriented labour relations and therefore condemned this attempt to reduce Nigerian scholars to casual workers in its entirety.”

“The action of the Union was a display of manifest trust in the judiciary and other institutions and organs of government to always put national interest above all other considerations.

“Unfortunately, the response of government towards ASUU’s demonstration of trust was the so-called ‘pro-rata’ payment for eighteen days as the October 2022 salaries of academics thereby portraying them as daily paid workers!

“At an emergency meeting of the ASUU’s National Executive Committee (NEC), held on Monday, 7th November, 2022, the Union deliberated on developments since the suspension of the strike.

“NEC commends the membership of ASUU for their perseverance in the face of untold hardship and unwarranted provocation by some notorious agents of the ruling class.

“NEC further appeals for the understanding of Nigerian students, parents and other genuinely concerned individuals and groups while the Union continues to pursue positive resolution of this avoidable crisis within the ambit of legality without compromising the interests and welfare of Nigerian intellectuals.”