THE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has said that if government is allowed to repudiate an agreement painstakingly reached after over two years, it would spell doom for collective bargaining in the country.


Also, the union stated that considering the avowed divide and rule tactics and complete denigration of SSANU by the Government as being demonstrated by the Deacon Gamaliel Onosode led government team, it’s on-going total strike in the universities would continue.


Acting President of SSANU, Comrade Bala Gadanga Sokoto, while speaking on the state of the strike and the universities’ union negotiation with the government, said the unions would not allow the government to repudiate agreement jointly arrived at through the process of collective bargaining.

Comrade Sokoto regretted that while SSANU was very willing to conclude the re-negotiation, the Mr. Onosode led team and top government officials who do not have their children in public universities are not willing to discuss and reopen the shut down universities.


The acting SSANU president said: “SSANU met with the Federal Government team, led by Mr. Onosode on the 10th August 2009, at the invitation of the government team. The meeting was supposedly to resume the re-negotiation that the government team had unilaterally terminated abruptly on the 9th July, 2009. Arrogantly but sadly, the Onosode led team directed SSANU to call off her strike, then go back to conclude the re-negotiation with each University Governing Council.


“The above position of the government team is a continuation of its deliberate attempts to completely eliminate the process of collective bargaining, the frame work on which the re-negotiation process started two and half years ago since some of the issues involved e.g. University Funding, 65 years retirement age, etc transcend the legal capacities of any Governing Council.


“It also shows how the Government is so insensitive to the issues at stake: refusing to shift in its fixated position in order to allow genuine resumption of the negotiation process.


“SSANU’s stand remains that the FGN should conclude the negotiation process by signing the agreement already reached. “If they have any difficulties with implementation thereafter, the parties can then look at areas of difficulties, that is the only way to maintain the sanctity of collective bargaining in Nigeria.


“If Government is allowed to repudiate an agreement painstakingly reached after over two years, that will spell doom for collective bargaining in Nigeria. “SSANU is very willing to conclude the re-negotiation but the Onosode-led team and top government officials who do not have their children in public universities are not willing to discuss and reopen the shut down universities.


“Let it be noted clearly by all Nigerians that the Nigerian university system has completely collapsed. Unlike what the government will want Nigerians to believe, the truth is that all the three (3) unions in the universities are on total strike, due to government’s insincerity and insensitivity to the plight of the masses that have their children in public Universities.


“So it is cheap to blackmail our sister Union, ASUU by making it look like it is the only one on strike. It will still be a state of anomie if the problems of all university unions are not resolved holistically.


“Considering the avowed divide and rule tactics and complete denigration of SSANU by the Government as being demonstrated by the Onosode-led government team, SSANU hereby continues her total strike till when government is ready and willing to discuss sincerely with the union.”

http://www.tribune.com.ng/17082009/mon/labour.html