The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) said it will not participate in the proposed nationwide industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) slated to begin next Monday but it (Congress) would take a legal action against the government should a fresh resolution is reached with ASUU without CONUA’s input.
The national president of CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, said in an interview that CONUA is not envious of ASUU but it is high time the government stopped neglecting other unions and focusing on ASUU as if it is the only union in the university system.
According to Tribune, Sunmonu accused the federal government of being biased and discriminatory against CONUA and other staff unions in the university system outside ASUU.
He said the government discussing with ASUU only and leaving others out of such negotiation on issues that concern all the university lecturers and other workers as if others are not important would never be accepted by CONUA.
He said any resolution that comes out of the 2009 Agreement Renegotiation would not be binding on CONUA and its members.
“So, since we were not brought to the table with anybody for discussion, we can’t be expected to join any strike that we don’t have any input in,” he said.
According to him, since the 2009 Agreement was entered into on behalf of all the academic staff in Nigerian public universities as at that period, it is expected that the current reality of having three recognised academic unions in the system should naturally mean that all the stakeholders that are affected are carried along.
“The renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement is not just about revisiting past commitments, but about shaping the future of academic labour relations, service conditions, and institutional stability in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
“That is why it is grossly inappropriate and untenable for one union to represent the interests of others in a plural union environment, as we currently operate in Nigeria,” he declared.
Furthermore, Sunmonu said CONUA does not believe in strike as a weapon to get the government to address any disagreement.
He contended that ASUU has the legal right to pursue its grievances with the government using various approaches including strike but CONUA does not believe that strike is the best option to get a favourable response from the government, especially t a time like this when the country’s education standard has fallen.
CONUA which broke away from ASUU and registered as an independent union during the government of late President Muhammadu Buhari, noted that while the future of Nigeria and its people depend largely on the quality and stability of the university system, constant strikes seriously undermine the hope of lifting Nigeria out of economic woes its currently facing.
He maintained that even though successive governments failed in their constitutional responsibilities to the citizens including the university workers, the lecturers should not help in deepening the country’s woes.
