JAF Supports ASUU Strike, Tasks FG On Adequate Funding Of Education

A Pro-Labour organization, Joint Action Front (JAF), has expressed support for the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), for remaining consistent at all times in its principled demands from the Federal Government on Adequate funding of education.

The organization also urged Nigerians to awake to a sense of national memory as the government remains insensitive and irresponsible to adequate funding of public education, admonishing that, “a warning general strike now would save the country from descent to anarchy.” This was contained in a statement jointly signed by Achike Chude and Comrade Abiodun Aremu JAF Deputy Chairperson and Secretary respectively and made available to the media in Lagos.

Against the backdrop of the country sliding into the precipice, the Joint Action Front (JAF) has called on the organised Labour (NLC & TUC), to act swiftly, “in view of the necessity to wake up and to save our country from the dominant culture of irresponsibility, incompetence and greed demonstrated everywhere by Nigeria’s ruling class.”

Just as JAF has consistently told the vast majority of Nigerians, who are deprived and oppressed that the economic, social and political crises causing deeper and deeper suffering of the people of Nigeria is a result of greed, theft and misrule by the rulers of Nigeria, it now asserted that, “the call has become the more expedient now following the recent deadlock in the FGN-ASUU Re-Negotiation meeting.”

The organization lamented that, during the renegotiation “the Federal Government, once again demonstrated impunity and unwillingness to address the legitimate and longstanding demands of ASUU, but instead chose a path of arm-twisting and blackmail to undermine the principles of signing and ensuring faithful adherence to the implementation of collective agreements, whenever it is reached!”

The position of JAF, according to the statement, is that it is unacceptable that the Federal Government, instead of allowing the process of collective bargaining to proceed in accordance with the standards, unilaterally attempted to impose an award.

“We reject such imposition. JAF cannot support acceptance of un-negotiated award. To do so, will amount to subversion of valid principles,” JAF insisted stating that it cannot and will not look on as the rulers strive to use the trade union of academics as a guinea pig for dismantling the rights of Nigerian workers to collective bargaining.

The statement reads further thus:

“We stand firmly behind ASUU. The Unilateral Action to impose an award, instead of carrying out a valid Collective Bargaining exercise with ASUU is unacceptable to JAF and all Nigerians who believe in building a just country must support ASUU‘s struggle.

“In view of the resolve by JAF to join forces with organised Labour towards a warning General Strike, it is germane to alert and avail the working people, youth and the oppressed poor across the country on the imperativeness of a national sense of memory by recalling what has been the stand and still the stand of ASUU in all Negotiations and Renegotiations of Collective Agreements with the FGN.”

In conclusion, the organization chronicled the experience of the ASUU Strike from 2013 till date.