Ajasin Varsity ASUU rejects management proposal, says strike continues

   Fayose, AAUA-ASUU Chair.

The leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), AAUA Branch today Tuesday 20th September, 2016, met with the Governing Council, University Administration and some officials of the Ondo State Government at the University's Liaison Office, Akure.

The meeting, which lasted for five hours, was presided over by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Otunba Solomon Oladunni. The meeting had in attendance Principal Officers, some council members and the State Commissioners for Education and Finance as well as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, who represented Government.

ASUU team included the branch executive members and the Zonal Coordinator of Akure, Dr. Alex Odiyi who represented Benin Zonal coordinator and ASUU National.

The Pro-Chancellor remarked that he had had meetings with the Visitor to the University after he met ASUU leadership last week and decided to call this meeting in order to find a lasting solution to the impasse. He alluded, as usual, to the current economic situation in the country which vitiated Government's ability to pay salaries.

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He appealed to the Union to show understanding by suspending the strike so that funds could be released for payment of salaries. In his words: "the Visitor has asked me and I am joining him to say that you should call off the strike as the money to pay two months salary is at hand. After resumption, other issues about the strike will be resolved." He also enjoined ASUU Chairperson to use his goodwill to get his members back to work.

Responding, ASUU Chairperson expressed shock that the proposal given by the Pro-Chancellor was not different from the old one he, University Administration and Government had been canvassing all this while, which the Union had also TOTALLY rejected in strong terms.

ASUU Chairperson specifically asked Government representatives what offence the University Administration and Council had committed that made Government not to release monthly subventions to them to run the University since December 2015. He also asked why AAUA was given a condition (suspension of strike) for the release of available subvention which sister Universities owned by the same Government were not given.

He once again, on behalf of the Union, REJECTED the proposal that we should go back to work before payment as such is viewed as a calculated attempt to destroy the Union and enslave its members.

While lamenting that nothing was moving in AAUA due to lack of funds, ASUU Chairperson urged Government, through its representatives at the meeting, to do the needful by being alive to its responsibility of funding the University so that it will not die.

In a swift reaction, the Pro-Chancellor assured the meeting that no one was trying to: destroy AAUA; deny it of funds; deny workers their rights, arrest further development as well as destroy ASUU.  He said Government established a third University when its economy was flourishing. In his contribution the commissioner for Education appreciated ASUU and Council for the way the issues were being handled.

He further said that members of ASUU deserve to be paid their salaries. Supporting the Pro-Chancellor, the Commissioner for Education said the new medical University was not in the initial plan of Government but was borne out of the fact that the facilities at the medical village in Ondo would rot away if not properly utilized as a teaching institution, hence the establishment of a University to put it to better use. He pointed out that the Chairperson is all in all and that he should call his members back to work as this will demonstrate respect for the Chairman of council.

After a prolonged debate, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council asked for a break to enable each party to consult among its members. Consequently, ASUU was thereafter invited to a session with the internal members of council who conveyed the position of their principals to the effect that the strike be suspended during which an MOU will be prepared by both parties and two months salaries would be paid. ASUU agreed to the preparation of MOU but insisted that salaries should be paid before the strike could be reviewed.

This position was reported by both parties (ASUU and Council representatives) to the larger house but the Pro-Chancellor said that that was not the position of the University Administration, Council and Government, and that insistence on pay before resumption would drag all the parties back to square one.

The Commissioner for Finance pleaded for more understanding saying that discussions are on at the federal level to get more funds for the sate. He CONFIRMED that two months subvention (December 2015 and January 2016) was available and would ONLY be released within a few days when the strike is suspended.

ASUU Chairperson at this point asked why the money could not be released unless the strike is suspended. The commissioner responded that it was GOVERNMENT POLICY that whenever there was industrial dispute arising from non payment of salaries, workers must first resume work before they get paid citing examples of NLC and NMA. The Union again rejected this saying it is wicked and inhuman as well as against ASUU principles.

At this point, the Pro-Chancellor reported that Government was wary of payment before resumption because ASUU would renege on its promise to resume after payment. He quoted the University Administration as saying that it held a meeting with ASUU leadership on Monday 25th July 2016 and promised to pay April 2016 net and the Union did not resume after it was paid.

The Union was shocked at such a blackmail and quickly put the record straight that such never happened. The Union told the meeting that a promise of one month salary (MAY 2016 NET) and (DECEMBER 2015 DEDUCTIONS) was made at the 25th July 2016 meeting which was yet to be fulfilled as of today, whereas APRIL 2016 NET was paid on 11th July 2016 as confirmed by an internal member of Council during the meeting. It was also revealed that a month subvention was released to the University Administration in the last week of July 2016 yet no salary was paid since the subvention was collected by the University Administration.

The Union again told the meeting of its readiness to prepare an MOU but reiterated that the strike would not be reviewed until members receive salary alerts. The Pro-Chancellor in his concluding remarks, asked ASUU leadership to reflect on all that transpired during the meeting promising to call on the Union when the need arises.

Comrades, the Union at this juncture appreciates your doggedness and commitment to free ourselves from slavery and calls on members to strengthen our collective resolve to carry on the struggle until we get our entitlements as we cannot afford to retreat at this point in time, as resumption before payment is a calculated attempt and strategic plan to kill our Union and enslave all of us. Thus the strike continues until those concerned do the needful. Kindly be reminded that a people united can never be defeated.

United we stand; divided we beg!

Signed

Dr Sola Fayose

Branch Chairperson, 

For and on behalf of ASUU-AAUA