SSANU cautions NUC against directive stopping check-off dues

SSANU President Comrade Samson Ugwoke who spoke to journalists yesterday said the directive, which was clearly against extant labour labours, if implemented would create crisis in the nation’s university system. Ugwoke said  already, the union had scheduled a strategic National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, for late this week at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), […]

SSANU President Comrade Samson Ugwoke who spoke to journalists yesterday said the directive, which was clearly against extant labour labours, if implemented would create crisis in the nation’s university system.
Ugwoke said  already, the union had scheduled a strategic National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, for late this week at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, which aims to discuss a myriad of government’s anti-labour policies and consider actions to adopt in fighting the development.  
On the directive by Okojie, he maintained that any move to implement it is in contrast with the provision of the Trade Union Act, which stipulates that employers should deduct and remit to the Registrar of Trade Unions check-off dues and to their respective unions.
According to him, the union had already written letters to government and all authorities concerned, as well as reporting to the Minister of Labour and Productivity Emeka Wogu.
He stated that SSANU is working with sister unions in the universities on ensuring that no illegal directive is implemented in varsities across the country.
The union also kicked against the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) which seeks to centralise the payment of university staff salaries saying that unless their fears are allayed, they will continue to oppose it.
“The Federal Government is trying to undo us as labour unions. We are not clearly satisfied with it and our request that certain things must be put in place before it even starts are not there. The central payment system is not working in Nigeria.”
He added that the Bauchi meeting will discuss the N30 billion Earned Allowance released by the government for universities, renegotiation of a 2009 agreement signed between the federal government and the three non-teaching unions in the university and the issue of staff schools, also contained in the 2009 agreement.