The federal government, on Thursday, appealed to a cross-section of workers in the Nigerian universities not to paralyse academic activities on their respective campuses with a proposed nationwide strike.

The government, in its bid to avert the looming strike by the workers under the aegis of National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), met with the leadership of the union at the Labour ministry’s headquarters, Abuja.

This appeal, according to the government officials, became imperative after the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum given by the leadership of the union over a wide range of issues.

Daily Trust reports that the proposed strike by NAAT was coming on the heels of the nationwide strike embarked upon by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives – the development that has grounded hospitals.

Leading the government representatives to the meeting, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dingyadi, set up a technical committee to address the issues raised by the union and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with them.

The union, according to its leadership, is angry over outstanding issues which include: the mainstreaming of allowances of NAAT members, the alleged imbalanced sharing formula of the release of N50bn Earned Allowances

Specifically, members of the union want the government to address the injustice meted out on their members in the disbursement of the funds and completion of renegotiation of the FGN/NAAT 2009 Agreement exercise.

Others are the implementation of the Consequential Adjustment of the New National Minimum Wage, payment of three-and-half-month withheld salaries and release of third-party deductions of the two months of withheld salaries paid.

They are also demanding the payment of seven and 11 months arrears of Occupational Hazard and Responsibility Allowances, respectively.

In a statement released by the Patience Onuobia, spokesperson of the ministry, said the meeting asked the committee to address the issue of the mainstreaming of allowances of NAAT members.

This, she said, included Field Trip, Student Technologist Staff Ratio Supplementation, Student Work Experience Programme (SWEP), and call duty allowances.

Onuobia said, “The meeting also directed the same committee to handle both the payment of three and a half months’ withheld salaries, and the release of third-party deductions of the two-month withheld salaries paid, and payment of seven and 11 months arrears of Occupational Hazard & Responsibility Allowances respectively.

“The payment of arrears of 30,000 Minimum Wage to omitted members of NAAT implemented in 2019, which NUC was also asked to revisit for possible resolution, and payment of one year arrears of 35%/25% salary increment were also referred to the committee, handling the mainstreaming of allowances.

“Regarding the release of the N50bn to settle outstanding claims of earned allowances of NAAT members, the meeting asked the Federal Ministry of Labour to follow up with the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure possible supplementary payment to NAAT.”

The ministry’s spokesperson added that the meeting agreed that another conciliation meeting would be held in three weeks to review the situation and consider the report of the committee. (Daily Trust)