…Demands Better Package For Members

The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), in solidarity with the national body, has called for improved salary and welfare package.

New Telegraph gathered that a Committee is currently working on the welfare of the academic and non-academic staff of the institution, which has commenced negotiations over sundry issues concerning the workers in COOU.

Rising from a meeting of the body at the Igbariam campus, the workers said they are in solidarity with the national body, adding that as a branch, they are not presently against the Anambra State government, which is presently showing commitment towards their welfare and improving salaries, as well as infrastructure intervention in the 3 campuses.

Similarly, the Congress of the branch is pleased with her leadership to express solidarity with the state government for now, over the protest as directed by the national, since efforts are underway towards address the burning peculiar issues, in which their university branch is represented

According to the chapter Chairman, Comrade Bruno Ibekilo, shortly after the meeting, several agreements have been reached in the past between the Federal government and the University workers, but the government has been foot-dragging over them.

“The Federal government have not shown serious commitment as regards doing the needful as agreed”.

“These are issues that have to do with the renegotiations of the 2009 ASUU federal government agreement and sustainable funding of the Universities”.

He further narrated other issues that have to do with the victimisation of their members in other Universities and the non-payment of the backlog of entitlements.

“This also includes the victimisation of our colleagues at the Lagos State University and Kogi State University (now Abubaka Audu University) as well as the Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO”.

“We also have the issue of outstanding 25 per cent and 35 per cent arrears in salary increases and promotion arrears for about four years now, and third-party deductions”.

Comrade Ibekilo further lamented that it was expected that the federal government should have commenced the process of implementing those agreements, but failed to do so. “We were expecting the Federal government to hurriedly go to work on those issues to ensure that this new strike does not come to be”.

“Presently, ASUU at the National level are expected to engage with the government on the 28th of this month of August, and we hope that government would not want the union to go into strike action and press home these issues”.

“For us at the state university branch, ours is to show solidarity with our sister branches, including federal Universities, and as you know, there is only one ASUU and what we are is a branch of ASUU though in a state-owned University”.

He expressed the gratitude of the academic community to Gov. Charles Soludo for the countless efforts in improving teaching and learning in the University.
“We thank our state government for what has been achieved so far and others that are on the table now”.

“Presently, there is a joint committee of all the Unions in the institution and management team to articulate our entitlements, all salary increases, and again push the minimum wage to the table of the governor. We are hopeful that Mr. Solution Governor, being an academic of repute, will not want our university to be seen going down among her peers”

“Currently, there are lots of landmark achievements in our university in the interest of her academic environment, which, as we can see, is in the heart of Mr. Governor”.

“There is only one ASUU and all universities are expected to be paid a uniform minimum wage regardless of who is paying, be it state or federal government”.

On the issue of minimum wage, he stated that, “we are using CONUASS (Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure) and several improvements have been made in the salary of Federal universities, and we are negotiating to ensure that we are at parity with that of other universities.”

“Presently, the minimum wage package has been put to work at the federal level, and we expect that subsequently these adjustments will be put into place as it concerns ours”.

“There have been 25 per cent and 35 per cent increases, and expect that it would trickle down to state universities as has been implemented in other universities”.