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The Nigeria Labour Congress on Thursday said it would hold a one – day national protest to force the Federal Government to meet the demands of university-based unions.
The congress noted that reports from a meeting of its Central Working Committee showed lack of progress in the negotiation with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and National Association of Academic Technologists.
The President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, spoke in Abuja during the opening of the National Executive Council meeting of the Congress. Wabba directed all the affiliate unions of the NLC to issue directives on the planned one-day national protest from next week.
“I think there is reluctance in addressing this issue (of strike) and therefore, CWC has decided that there will be a one-day national protest to call the attention of the government to resolve the issue immediately. After that, the next decision of the CWC will take place,” he said. He however did not disclose when the national protest will hold. Wabba also lamented the present fuel crisis in the country, while adding that the congress is studying the sack of teachers by the Kaduna State Government.
Meanwhile, the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities has urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday to expedite the process of resolving ongoing disputes between the government and the unions.
The chairman of the committee, Prof Samuel Edoumiekumo, made the call during the launch of the intellectual property policy document for universities in Abuja. “We plead that drastic action is taken to stem the haemorrhage that the system is currently witnessing. For the sake of our children and our society, we need the decision,” he said.
(punchng.com)
