…Demands five months backlog salary arrears
The National Association of Academic Technologists, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi branch, has berated the Federal Government’s for only paying the Academic Staff Union of Universities the four months salary backlog and neglecting the other three unions in the universities.
The union described the action as selective treatment and Federal Government’s move to honour the disobedient child of the family and disregard the obedient child.
The ATBU NAAT Chairman,Engineer Mohammed Bashir Zwall, stated this in an interview with journalists on Wednesday during a protest of members of the union and the commencement of its three days warning strike.
Members of the union while protesting the government’s failure to pay their backlog of salary arrears, marched to the gate of the Yelwa campus of the university chanting solidarity songs and holding placards with various inscriptions.
Speaking in the interview, Zwall said: “We are here for a protest and three days warning strike based on the fact that the Federal Government promised us that they’re going to pay us our backlog salaries of five and a half months through the Minister of Education but they failed to do so.
“Surprisingly, they paid our sister union (ASUU) four months but ours, there’s no anything. Our national leaders then sent letters to the Federal Ministry of Education, even to acknowledge the receipt of the letter, they didn’t do it.
“We feel that the Federal Government is trying to honour the stubborn child of the family and disregard the obedient child, that’s what we see. That is the reason we are here today.
“As you can see, the gate of the university is locked. All the laboratories, studios and workshops are locked. As you are aware, examinations are going on and now there’s no any technologist that is part of the invigilation, we withdrew all our members.”
He informed the general public not to feel that the union is inconsiderate of the plight of the students who are currently writing their examination but said that “they should hold the Federal Government responsible for their inadequate action in addressing our issues.”
The NAAT Chairman further said: “All what we are saying is that, the Federal Government should pay us the backlog of our salaries and all the agreement reached with them should be fulfilled.
“And all the 2009 agreement we signed with them, we want them to fulfill those agreements because there are so many promises that the Federal Government has denied us.
“Concerning the earned allowances, the last regime, they promised to send N50 billion to the universities but you to now, nothing is going on. Sometimes, when they pay such kind of money, they divert 75 percent to ASUU, we are not against ASUU but at least, there should be justice to all parties concerned.
“ASUU has been paid their earned allowance up to 2020 but our own, we are still on 2013. You see, the disparity is too much and that is what we are saying.
He said that the government should be aware that ASUU alone cannot do the work in the universities alone pointing out that instilling discipline and character in the students must be the collective responsibility of all unions.
“All of us are university staff, we are all in the business of providing discipline, learning and character in the environment.
“The other sister union cannot do it alone, they can’t do without us, we provide water, we take care of the laboratories, we set the experiments for the students and we invigilate. Most of the researches are part of us, there is no legitimate research without a technologist.
“They are taking us for granted and they feel that without us, they can do it which is wrong. This is fighting for certainty and hoping for uncertainty,” he stated.
He said that all the over 200 members of the union in ATBU have embarked on the warning strike saying that the exercise is total with all members complying.