The four internal unions at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, UMYU, Katsina, have suspended their strike following a meeting with a committee set up by the Katsina State Government.
The unions, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, announced the suspension in a statement jointly signed by their chairman, Murtala Abdullahi, and secretary, Saminu Salisu, on Thursday night.
According to the statement, the decision followed negotiations with the government committee, which agreed to address key issues that led to the industrial action. These include halting the planned takeover of the university’s portal by FlexiSaf Edusoft Limited, implementing the appropriate salary structures for staff and resolving other policy-related concerns raised by the unions.
Both parties also signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, which formed the basis for the suspension of the strike.
The unions, however, noted that one outstanding issue, the payment of 34 months of arrears, remains unresolved. They disclosed that the university’s chancellor, Senator Ibrahim Ida, intervened and appealed for the suspension of the strike, assuring that steps would be taken to address the owed allowances within a reasonable timeframe. The unions said they agreed to suspend the action temporarily based on this assurance.
They also appreciated the university community for its patience during the strike and restated their commitment to maintaining industrial harmony.
The internal unions had begun a two-week warning strike on November 3 over unpaid arrears, delayed promotions, poor working conditions and unresolved matters concerning salary adjustments and hazard allowances.
