The Federal Government has proposed a 40 per cent salary increase for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as part of ongoing negotiations to avert a nationwide university strike.
Multiple sources familiar with the discussions told Punch in Abuja that the proposal will be presented formally when ASUU meets government negotiators led by former Head of Service, Yayale Ahmed, in the coming days.
The development follows a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held by ASUU in Abuja on Sunday, where union leaders resolved to continue talks rather than immediately activate a strike.
A senior union official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions placed on public comments during negotiations, said branch chairpersons would brief their members ahead of the next meeting with the government.
“They presented a proposal for a 40 per cent salary increment. Branch leaders will go back and update members. Negotiations continue next week,” the official said.
ASUU had earlier issued a one-month ultimatum to the government, which expired on Saturday, warning of a full-scale strike over unresolved issues affecting public universities.
In a last-minute effort to prevent the shutdown of campuses, the government invited ASUU leadership to a meeting in Abuja last week. Both sides have kept details of the deliberations from the public due to agreed rules governing the negotiation process.
Unresolved issues
ASUU has repeatedly accused the government of failing to implement key agreements, including:
- the renegotiation of the 2009 FG–ASUU agreement,
- payment of outstanding salaries and earned academic allowances,
- release of revitalisation funds for public universities.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, who is currently out of the country, had earlier insisted that the government had met “most” of the union’s demands.
Mr Alausa told State House correspondents two weeks ago that President Bola Tinubu had directed the ministry to ensure that no new strike disrupts academic activities.
“The President has mandated us that he does not want ASUU to go on strike. We have met almost all their requirements and are back at the negotiation table. We will resolve this,” he said.
Labour unions intervene
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also expressed support for ASUU, warning that it will not hesitate to mobilise in defence of the academic union if talks collapse.
ASUU last embarked on a brief six-day warning strike earlier in the year, but the union insists that a longer industrial action may be unavoidable if the government does not show “serious commitment” in the ongoing talks.
