The Senate on Tuesday, passed a resolution to avert impending strike by Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities (NASU).
This followed a motion by Sen. Barau Jibril (APC-Kano), on the urgent need to avert the impending strike by SSANU and NASU.
Barau, who brought the motion, cited order 42 and 52 of the Senate rule, saying both unions had issued a strike warning to the Federal Government.
He said the unions had indicated their planned strike was based on the inability of government to grant their request.
He added that the unions said their members were excluded from participating in the new pension administration approved for university lecturers.
Also that the unions said the payment of 20 per cent earned allowance to their members as against the payment of 80 per cent to the Academic Staff Union of University (ASSU), was not acceptable.
Barau said the planned strike, if allowed to go on would not be in the interest of the nation’s tertiary institutions and, the senate owned it a duty to intervene in the proposed strike.
Sen. Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi), who seconded the motion, said it was important for Senate to intervene to avoid another crisis in higher institutions.
Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani,(PDP-Enugu), said the senate must urgently intervene to advert the looming strike by the unions.
Sen. Ibrahim Oloriebe (APC- Kwara), said the effect of strike would put several students on the streets.
Other senators, who supported the motion stressed the need for a stable calendar in the educational system, given the importance of manpower to the development of any nation.
Some of the senators also called for adequate funding of tertiary institutions and payment of lecturers.
However, the senate resolved to invite the leadership of SSANU, NASU and ASSU as well as the officials of Ministry of Labour and Productivity ,Ministry of Education to resolve the issues raised by the unions
(NAN)