Gbenro Adesina
The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has expressed dismay over Federal Government’s continued insensitivity to the genuine demands and agitations of its members, which centre on burning issues in the area of repositioning of laboratories, workshops and studios in Nigeria’s public universities to meet up with the reality and negotiation of the 2009 FGN/NAAT Agreement.
The union revealed this today at a press briefing organized by its South West branch held at the Postgraduate College Board Room of the University of Ibadan (UI).
In attendance were the National Deputy President, Dr Musa Bawahala, National Treasurer, Dr Mrs Olajokun, Zonal Coordinator, South West, Comrade Oluremi Joseph Olurinde, National AGS 11, Comrade Adeleke Ismahed Abisoye, Zonal Treasurer, Comrade Bobola Bamigbola and Zonal Secretary, Comrade Olabiran Olayinka Adewale, delegates and observers from the zone.
Speaking, NAAT South West Coordinator, Comrade Oluremi Joseph Olurinde explained that university unions have declared indefinite strike action for the past three months because of the failure of the government to implement the 2009 agreements it has with the four unions in the nation’s Universities.
His words, “It is no longer hidden that, due to the promise and fail attitudes of FGN, all the four trade unions (ASUU, NAAT, SSANU and NASU) in Nigeria’s university systems embarked on strike to make FGN honour agreement freely entered into with the university based unions. The strike was kick-started by ASUU in February, followed by NAAT on March 22, 2022, while JAC of SSANU and NASU joined the strike too immediately in the same month with NAAT.”
Olurinde faulted the Federal Government’s invocation of no work no pay principle for non-compliance with Labour Act.
He explained, “FGN being the parent of these four trade unions is expected to be rational in settling the industrial dispute. But to our greatest surprise, the FGN decided to invoke the principle of no work no pay immediately, as against the provision of the labour Act that states that any industrial dispute that lasted for more than three months, the employer may wish to invoke no work no pay until the matters that lead to the strike action is agreeably/amicably resolved. Be that as it may, the FGN through the Ministry of Labour and Productivity decided to single out ASUU and NAAT members in the implementation of the no work no pay and continues to be paying salaries to members of both SSANU and NASU who are also on strike. NAAT as a reputable trade union wishes to inform the FGN that the divide and rule tactics introduced would not solve the problem on ground and we are not perturbed by not releasing our members’ salaries, we have counted it as a price we have to pay towards the actualization of our struggle in this ongoing trade dispute.”
The NAAT Coordinator registered his sympathy to students in the country over the ongoing strike action by unions in the universities as a result of the non-responsiveness of the Federal Government to the demands of the unions.
He also showed his displeasure over the archaic instruments still being used by the members of his union in the Universities.
He said, “What NAAT is saying to the government is that, enough is enough using kerosene stove and pots as water bath in our laboratories, overcrowding of laboratories during practical session, abolishment of alternatives to practical due to lack of equipment, reagents and chemicals in most departmental laboratories. All these requests are achievable if and if, government has the will power and at the same time stop paying lip services to the fight against corruption. If the man occupying the position of Accountant General of the Federation could embezzle eighty billion naira (N80billion) as alleged, then how much does government need to fix the demands of workers in tertiary institutions in the country compared to amount being misappropriated by the current government functionaries.”
Olurinde highlighted areas of dispute between the union and the Federal Government to include:
Non release of adequate laboratories/workshops and studios rehabilitation funds;
Failure on the part of FGN to fully implement 2009 FGN/NAAT Agreement;
Non-payment of Earned Allowances to members-especially as agreed in the MoU of 2021, that subsequent release of EA to Academic Technologist shall be separated from others and shall be basic template generated from signed agreement of each union with government and not number of persons in each union or personnel cost;
Delay in renegotiation of FGN/NAAT 2009 Agreement;
Non -payment of arrears of National Minimum Wage to Academic Technologists in federal tertiary institutions;
The refusal of government to release the enabling circular for the implementation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for Academic Technologists as contained in the MoU of 2017, 2020, and 2021;
Total neglect in the area of training and re-training of Academic Technologists/Scientists and non-provision of intervention funds for equipment procurements;
Dearth of competent and licensed professional technologists and scientists and the lukewarm attitude of the FGN to introduce succession plans at recruiting and employing younger and qualified professional scientists and technologists to replace the few and retiring ones in most of our universities;
Poor funding of state universities;
Urgent need to halt or arrest brain drain due to poor remuneration and deplorable working conditions and;
FGN’s inability to constitute and inaugurate the governing councils of all Federal Universities of Agriculture in the country.
The NAAT coordinator lamented that after more than 12 years of signing the agreement with the union, many components of the agreement are either not implemented or partly implemented, noting that the non-conclusion of the ongoing renegotiation of the FGN/NAAT 2009 Agreement that has been ongoing for more than two years shows insensitivity on the part of the government.
He noted that the government has concluded negotiation with a sister, wondering why the government has refused to conclude negotiation with NAAT.
He added that the union condemns the current trend of converting laboratories workshops and studios into classrooms in most of the public universities.
The comrade stated that the job schedule of NAAT members and ASUU members are complimentary, therefore, the union would no longer leave ASUU to fight for better conditions in the university system alone.
He urged the Federal Government, as a matter of urgency, to go back to the round table and resolve the trade dispute on ground with all the unions in the university system and put a stop to the current antics of divide and rule employed by the government.
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