We Support NLC Warning Strike To Support ASUU, SSANU, NAAT AND NASU – WYSN
WORKERS AND YOUTH SOLIDARITY NETWORK- WYSN
- NO TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S ‘NO WORK, NO PAY’ POLICY
- WE SUPPORT THE NLC WARNING STRIKE TO SUPPORT ASUU, SSANU, NAAT AND NASU
- ONLY MASS ACTION CAN DEFEAT FG ATTACKS ON PUBLIC EDUCATION
Workers and Youth Solidarity Network condemns the ‘No work, no pay’ policy of the Federal Government against workers of federal universities.
Those affected by this policy are the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institution (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) was the first to commence a four-week strike, after which it declared another eight-week strike. Now, the union has been forced to declare another twelve weeks strike because of the government’s refusal to implement their just demands. Other unions have also launched separate industrial actions to press home their demands for better working conditions for their members, University autonomy and increased funding for public universities.
To us in the WYSN, the ‘No work, no pay’ policy is an attempt to intimidate the striking workers. ASUU members haven’t received salary for three months now in an FG attempt to force them back to work.
At the same time, the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, has spent N100m on an All Progressives Congress presidential expression of interest and nomination form!
Despite the crisis in the Universities at the moment, the wives of Vice-Chancellors across Nigerian universities were set to travel to Istanbul, Turkey, for a five-day “leadership course”! The plans were cancelled due to public condemnation.
The media of the ruling elite are all over the place saying that the ASUU strike hurts the students. It’s clear that the children of the poor people are the ones that attend public schools. On the other hand, the children of ruling elites are graduating in different international Universities across developed countries. And the FG government is the one to blame for this stalemate. Such hypocrisy!
Nigeria’s annual budget for education is N1.29 trillion, or 7.9%. Though this figure represents an increase compared to last years, it is still far too low- UNESCO for example recommends 26% of the budget to be allocated for education.
We salute the University of Benin students for their courage to hold a protest for two days.,Also some students of University of Lagos protested two days ago. We also extend our solidarity to Obafemi Awolowo University Students for their plan for protest actions. We urge all other university students across Nigeria to mobilise and organise a series of political actions to compel the government to meet ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT demands so that schools can be reopened.
We call on the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to declare total support for ASUU strike and break away from dilly-dallying with a regime that doesn’t care for education.
We call for unity of staff unions, students, workers and communities to mobilise for mass actions to force the government to back down and meet demands of University Unions.
Victory to the striking workers!
Dammy Owot
Secretary
0706 941 1796
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