Credit: Dailypost.Ng
Academic activities experienced a lull at Benue State University (BSU) as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), BSU branch engages in a face-off with the Management of the institution, declaring a total strike over neglect of welfare concerns.
Some students of the institution who had arrived in pursuit of their academic endeavor were disappointed to learn that their lecturers had begun an indefinite strike on Friday.
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According to the Chairman and Secretary of the union ASUU-BSU branch, Comrade Kwaghfan Tarnongo and Terrumum Gajir respectively, the strike declared on Thursday is going to be indefinite and has the approval of the national body.
The union is disappointed that after the state government had fulfilled its part of the agreement reached, and had continued to sustain the additional funds to the University for the specific purposes of implementing promotions and annual increments, the University Management, having collected the additional funds, had refused to pay their entitlement.
The Union is asking for the implementation and payment of accrued arrears for 2021, 2022, and 2023 promotions, accrued arrears of annual incremental step, April 2023 salary arrears, and shortfalls in the salaries of staff of the College of Health Sciences.
It is also demanding the payment of earned academic allowance, payment of sundry allowances, non-enrolment/implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme, and many others.
It regrets that all efforts to avert the strike and facilitate dialogue proved futile, adding that despite a series of tripartite agreements reached in January 2023 between the Benue State Government, BSU Administration and Governing Council, and ASUU-BSU, the University Management had refused to address the welfare concerns of the Union members.
However, the Public Relations Officer of the University, Tse Vanger, having confirmed the notification of the strike, says the management is meeting on the issue.
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