AN indefinite strike has been declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Benue State University branch (ASUU-BSU).
Trojan News reports that the union embarked on the industrial action to address longstanding issues related to better conditions of service.
The decision was made public with the branch members on February 1, 2024, in the Arts Theatre Complex during an emergency congress.
The action comes after the Benue State University (BSU) administration failed to meet the union’s demands despite earlier agreements.
On June 26, 2023, the union called off a strike of a similar nature after receiving guarantees from the state government and the university administration that the union’s demands would be met.
The union declared the start of a “total, indefinite, and comprehensive strike” in a statement released jointly by the Branch Chairman, Comrade Kwaghfan Tarnongo, and the Secretary, Terrumun Gajir, following approval from the National body.
The statement further stated that authorization to resume the suspended strike has been given by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) national organization.
The union emphasized how, despite earlier agreements, the BSU Administration has refused to address the welfare issues of its members.
It highlighted a tripartite agreement that was struck in January 2023 between the Governing Council, BSU Administration, and Benue State Government. This agreement sought to address concerns about annual increment and promotion through greater finance.
The union acknowledged the state government’s commitment to fulfilling its part of the agreement by providing additional funds to the university.
The statement partly read, “To the credit of the Benue State Government, it has kept its part of the agreement and has continued to sustain the additional funds to the university for the specific purposes of implementing promotions and annual increment and to defray the accumulated arrears thereof.
“Regrettably, the same cannot be said of the BSU Administration, meanwhile the University has religiously collected the additional funds from government but has refused to pay the staff their entitlements.
“This breach of the January 2023 agreement by the BSU Administration led to the May 2023 strike by the Branch.”
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