The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) made a decision at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to suspend its nationwide strike for 3 months.
National President of NAAT, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, addressed this in Abuja.The NAAT President said the Union had secured commitments and resolutions on some of its demands, even as it rejected the ‘No work, No pay’ policy of the federal government.“Following this understanding with Government, NAAT as a democratic union directed all its branches to conduct a referendum on whether to suspend or continue the strike action. NEC of NAAT met and considered the results from branches hence the decision to suspend the strike effective, Thursday 25th August 2022.“The result of the referendum from branches showed that 80.56 per cent voted in favour of a suspension of the strike while 19.44 per cent voted for the continuation of the strike action” he said.
Commitments secured from the federal government was also listed to include the release of enabling circulars on CONTISS 14 and 15, agreements on payment of arrears of minimum wage/consequential adjustments, payment of occupational hazard allowance, and implementation of responsibility allowance, among others.
“Subsequently, NEC came to the conclusion that the demands of NAAT were substantially being addressed. Consequent to the above result, calls and appeals by well-meaning Nigerians, students, parents and other critical stakeholders, the NEC in session, in the interest of the Nation unanimously resolved to suspend the ongoing strike action for three months to enable the government to address all the issues at stake, effective from midnight of Friday, 26th August 2022.“By this development, all NAAT members in tertiary institutions are directed to resume work with effect from the date stated above. NAAT, therefore, requested that students especially final year project students/researchers with ongoing research activities and other unfinished practical works to come over and would be attended to.“NEC also rejected the ‘no work, no pay rule’ of the federal government, as we are not the architect of the prolonged strike action. Therefore, NAAT demands in strong terms the payment of our withheld salaries without delay.”
“If all issues agreed won’t be comprehensively addressed,NAAT will not hesitate to resume the suspended strike action without notice ”.He said
