The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Thursday said no amount of threats would make it stop fighting for quality education and the welfare of its members.
The union advised the Committee of Pro-chancellors of State Owned Universities in Nigeria (COPSON) to stop playing to the gallery and learn from their counterparts in federal universities who impress on the government to do the needful for public universities.
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The Convener, ASUU Rapid Response, Professor Ade Adejumo, in a release entitled, “COPSON: Stoking the Blaze of Discord,” said the principle of collective bargaining is sanctioned by the law and would be binding contrary to the position of COPSON.
Adejumo said, “ASUU is one, a thousand communique and threats from COPSON cannot break our ranks and iron resolve to see this struggle and any other one in the future to its successful end”.
He asked the pro-chancellors to provide evidence that they had improved their schools’ salaries and welfare but “are always eager to run to Abuja to collect money from TETFUND which was brought into existence by ASUU.”
He added, “What is the function of a union if not to see to the welfare of its members? Why is COPSON fixated on the curious idea that centrally negotiated salaries by ASUU with the government will not be binding on them when they have always been represented in such negotiations? Why have they not insisted that policies and directives of central regulatory bodies like JAMB, NUC and NYSC are not binding on them?”