University workers, under the aegis of National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), have threatened to ground activities on campuses to protest alleged disparity in the allocation of the N40 billion Earned Academic Allowance to be released by the Federal Government.
The union yesterday gave the government 14-day strike notice to address concerns raised in the sharing formula adopted for the earned allowances or risk another round of industrial action in public universities.
NAAT and two other university – based unions – the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) are protesting the alleged allocation of 75 percent to the Academic Staff Union of Universities and 25 per cent to them from the N40 billion allowance.
However, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige said he was yet to receive official communication from the union about the planned strike by NAAT members.
The minister, who spoke with newsmen, directed the leaderships of NAAT, SSANU and NASU to the National Universities Commission, (NUC) and the Federal Ministry of Education on the allocation of the N40bn allowance.
The university workers are protesting the disparity in sharing of the N40 billion earned allowance released to the four university-based unions.
They are also demanding that the government release 50 percent of the N71 billion accrued allowance being owed members of the union from the 2009 agreement reached between government and the union.
