Varsity lecturers call off strike in Rivers

Posted by admin Rivers, State News Monday, April 18th, 2011

Lecturers in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology on Monday called off its four-day old industrial action.

The lecturers had on Wednesday embarked on an indefinite strike due to the state government’s non-implementation of the agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

ASUU Chairman, RSUST branch, Dr. Felix Igwe, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt, said the lecturers decided to call off the strike following the intervention of the National President of the union, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie.

Igwe explained that the decision of ASUU, RSUST branch to go back to the classrooms was based on the need to maintain the non-partisan posture of the union.

He stated that the union put its indefinite strike on hold in order to pave the way for a hitch-free election in the state.

Igwe said, “Following the intervention of ASUU President, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, and considering the need to maintain and sustain the non-partisan posture of the union, ASUU RSUST chapter congress decided that the ongoing industrial action be put on hold to allow a hitch-free election in the state.”

Calling on the state government to implement the 2009 Federal Government/ASUU agreement in the university, the union chairman stated that Rivers was the only state that was yet to implement the agreement.

The university teachers had earlier embarked on an industrial action in October 2010 when they were unable to persuade the state government to implement an agreement reached in 2009 between ASUU and the Federal Government.

The lecturers decided to suspend the strike in January based on the promise that their demands would be met at the end of March 2011.

Part of the agreement between the lecturers and the university governing council was that failure of the state government to implement the demands of the lecturers would see them (lecturers) resume the suspended strike.

-Punchwp_posts