NLC storms National Assembly in protests against the strike by university workers
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) stormed the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday in protest of the country’s extensive university employees’ strike.
The demonstration carried on from a similar one that had taken place in a number of states of the Federation, with the exception of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The demonstration on Wednesday started at the Unity Fountain, and demonstrators then marched along Shehu Shegari Way to the assembly complex.
NLC President Ayuba Wabba, ASUU President Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, and Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, the academic union’s recently-past president, were among those who were present in person.
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) members are among the university employees that have gone on strike for a variety of causes.
On February 14, lecturers at government-owned universities who are members of ASUU went on a nationwide strike in protest of the government’s adoption of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as the payment system for the higher education sector, as well as other issues like inadequate funding for universities and the non-payment of some of their coworkers’ salaries and benefits.
Numerous conversations between the union and the administration have resulted in impasse since the start of the industrial action.
Other university unions have also expressed their worries, and while the administration is currently working to find solutions to the problems brought up by the lecturers on strike, the crisis at the public institutions may not be resolved anytime soon.
If the problem is not resolved, Wabba, a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, cautioned the Federal Government to prepare for a three-day nationwide strike.
“The protest first is to show our concern and to also call for urgent action to resolve the issues. We took two levels of decision,” Wabba stated while addressing the importance of the protest.
“First is the national protest to call for attention and for the issues to be resolved promptly, and the next level is three days national warning strike if nothing has happened after the protest to show our grievances.”
Highpoints of the protest are captured in the pictures below:
