By Okey Maduforo, Awka.
The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU, in solidarity with the ASUU National body calls for improved salary and welfare package.
However 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 stated that they are in solidarity with the parent National body, adding that as a branch they 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 on the way towards address the burning peculiar issues, in which their university branch is represented
According to the chapter Chairman of ASUU in the University, Comrade Bruno Ibekilo shortly after the meeting, several agreements have been reached in the past between the Federal government and the University workers but government have 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 has to do with the victimization of their members in other Universities and the non-payment of backlog of entitlements.
“This also include the victimization 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 percent and 35 percent 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 agreement 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 do not come to be”.
“Presently, ASUU at the National level are expected to engage with 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 theses 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 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 be 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 this adjustments would be put into place as it concerns ours”.
“There have been 25 percent and 35 percent increase and expect that it would trickle down to state university as has been implemented in other universities”.
