Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Niger Delta University (NDU) Bayelsa Branch, yesterday suspended its four months strike action.

Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Port Harcourt Zone, Professor Sese Beke, and NDU ASUU Branch Chairman, Dr Stanley Ogoun, disclosed this during press conference held at the Faculty of Law Campus NDU in Yenagoa.

Prof. Beke said the decision to suspend the industrial action followed the payment of two out of the six months’ salary arrears owed them and the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Government.

However, the ASUU chiefs noted that they might resume the strike if the State Government fails to meet up its own part of agreement, adding that they were compelled to suspend the action out of goodwill and for the interest of the public.

Sese and Ogoun were flanked by the ASUU Branch Chairmen of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Dr Austin Sado; Federal University Otuoke, Dr Joseph Omoro; and Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Dr Suobere Puyate.

Ogoun said: “As per whether we are satisfied with the two months salaries that has been paid, we want to say no but when you go into negotiation the essence is not to stick to your guns and not be willing to shift grounds when your mediators intervening.

“The labour struggle is not one you fight as a one-off thing. Our relationship with our employers is not a one-off contract. We will resume strike action if the government fails to pay the remaining months we will simply resume the strike that is suspended.

“We want to make it clear that an industrial action is to compel government or employers to be responsive, and come to the negotiation table and if government is responsive no employee will embark on industrial action.”

On the Treasury Simple Account (TSA) adopted by the Federal Government, ASUU said the policy is incompatible and undermines the autonomy of universities. It noted that TSA makes it extremely difficult for universities to discharge their core responsibilities and therefore called on the Federal Government to exempt the universities from the policy. (Nigerian Pilot)