ASUU Strike: Osinbajo Leads FG’s Negotiation Team

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has appointed
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to lead the federal
government negotiation team with the Academic
Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU).
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris
Ngige, revealed this development while briefing State
House correspondents after the meeting of the FEC
in Abuja on Wednesday.
Ngige states that this was part of the council’s
resolutions at the meeting which was presided over
by President Muhammadu Buhari, his first meeting
with all the members of the cabinet, since his return
from medical vacation on August 19.
ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi
“This is the first national strike that this government
is facing and we want to discuss.
“At council today, the Vice President has taken over
some of the aspects of the negotiations and
discussions.
“So, we are continuing the meeting in his office and
when we finish meeting, we will get back to ASUU
for another round of meeting.
”And we are hopeful that we will be able to go to an
appreciable extent to solve some of the outstanding
issues that is preventing them from going back to
work,’’ he says.
ASUU is demanding the full implementation of the
2009 agreements reached with the federal
government bordering on improvement in welfare and
payment of backlog of salaries and entitlements,
among other issues.
National Minimum Wage
On the national minimum wage committee, the
minister stated that the federal government team
was ready for the commencement of negotiation
with the labour unions and other stakeholders.
He said already four ministers, Head of Service of
the Federation and the acting Secretary to the
Government of the Federation had been appointed to
be part of the government team.
“The chairman will be unveiled when we have full
component of the committee.
”The aspect that is delaying from inaugurating the
committee is the organised private sector.
“The organised private sector has eight
representatives of which Nigeria Employers
Committee Assembly has four nominations and they
have not sent their nominations.
“Manufacturers Association of Nigeria two
nominations, their nominations just came in
yesterday. Nigeria Association of Small Medium
Enterprise one, they have not sent in their
nomination.
“NACCIMA has not sent in their nominations. So we
are waiting for these nominations, when they come
in the government will nominate the chairman and
inaugurate the committee,’’ he explained.
The labour unions have demanded that the minimum
wage be increased to at least N50,000.

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