The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced the suspension of its ongoing two-week warning strike.
National President of the union, Prof. Chris Piwuna, disclosed this during a press briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Piwuna, the decision followed an overnight meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC), which lasted until about 4:00 a.m. The union leadership said the review was informed by recent engagements with government officials and appeals from stakeholders.
“We’ve had useful engagements with representatives of the government to consider the response to the draft renegotiation of the 2009 agreements. However, we are definitely not where we were prior to the commencement of the strike,” Piwuna stated.
He added that while negotiations were still ongoing, the government’s willingness to return to the discussion table and the interventions of students, parents, and the Nigeria Labour Congress influenced ASUU’s decision.
“Consequently, NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to reciprocate the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians,” he said.
ASUU had declared the total and comprehensive warning strike on Monday, October 13, over the government’s delay in addressing key demands.
The union is pressing for the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, payment of withheld three and a half months’ salaries, revitalisation and sustainable funding of public universities, and an end to the alleged victimisation of lecturers in LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.
Other demands include payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, promotion arrears spanning over four years, and the release of withheld third-party deductions such as cooperative contributions and union dues.
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