Abuja — ·Directs branches to mobilise for an indefinite strike
THE National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, yesterday gave the Federal Government two weeks within which to pay its members' five months' withheld salaries or face an indefinite strike.
The union also said it would picket the Ministry of Finance on November 14 for its failure to implement President Bola Tinubu's directive that the withheld salaries be paid.
It equally directed all its branch chairmen to commence mobilisation of their members for protest/ picketing of relevant government agencies on that date.
The protest, which is expected to commence at midnight of November 6, 2024, will have all branches of the union across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education mobilised to press home their demands.
The ultimatum is coming on the heels of the indefinite strike strike declared by two non-academic staff union of universities, SSANU and NASU, over a similar demand.
President of NAAT, Comrade, Ibeji Nwokoma, who declared the protest after the union's National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, reeled out a list of long-standing demands, including payment of five and a half months of withheld salaries and the full implementation of a 2009 agreement with NAAT.
He explained that the agreement encompassed critical items, such as allowances for academic technologists, provisions for student training programs, and the enhancement of staff-to-student ratios.
It urged the government to, among other things, release funds for upgrading of university laboratories and to address the broader issues of underfunding and proliferation of public universities.
Recall that the union had previously issued a three-week ultimatum on September 30, 2024, which expired on October 21.
According to Nwokoma, the ultimatum ended without any acknowledgment from government agencies, including the federal ministries of education and labour and employment.
NAAT expressed frustration over what it described as government "insensitivity," pointing to President Bola Tinubu's recent approval of withheld salaries that, according to NAAT, has not yet been actioned by the finance ministry.
It said that within the two-week window, local branches would convene congresses to conduct a referendum on whether to escalate the protest into a full strike.
The union warned that if the government failed to act by November 13, 2024, it would embark on an indefinite strike, which would potentially impact academic calendars and critical research activities across the tertiary education system.
The NAAT president said: "It is quite unfortunate and regrettable too that despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's waiver and approval to pay five and half month salaries owed NAAT members, the refusal by the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy to effect this approval raises more questions than answers on the true commitment and sincerity on the part of federal government in resolving the issues.
"Several efforts were made in the past, including series of letters, protests, visits, notices of ultimatums and several Memorandum of Understanding, MoS, freely entered between NAAT and the federal government (i.e MOU of 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022) as the result of efforts by federal ministry of labour and employment as conciliator of the federal government but all to no avail.
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"Consequent upon the above, the union, having reviewed the situation critically decided to give federal government additional two weeks ultimatum, with effect from October 30, 2024.
"Meanwhile, the National Executive Council, NEC, has directed all her branches in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to hold a nationwide protest to drive home our demands.
"Within the two weeks' ultimatum, branches have been directed to hold congresses and conduct referendum to decide if the union will proceed on strike once the 14 days' ultimatum expires on November 13, 2024.
"If at the end of the 14-day ultimatum, no positive response comes from government, the union will embark on a national protest which will culminate in a total and indefinite strike without recourse to government."
