The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) remains resolute in its pursuit of members' entitlements despite apparent calm in recent months, according to Happiness Uduk, the Zonal Coordinator for the Calabar Zone.
In an exclusive interview with BenriNews on Friday in Uyo, Uduk, who is also an Associate Professor in the Department of English Language at the University of Uyo, addressed several pressing issues facing the union, including unpaid salaries, stalled agreements, and the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
When asked if ASUU's recent quietness indicated that all demands had been met, Uduk was emphatic: "Not at all, our demands have not been met, so many things are still pending, the renegotiated agreement has not yet got to the president, we have the three and half months unpaid salaries, among others."
Strike Remains Last Resort
Uduk clarified that despite the union's reputation for using strikes as a bargaining tool, such actions are always a last resort. "We are not handicapped," she stated. "We will use all tools, persuasion, negotiation until we have a total collapse, then we bring our trump card which is strike."
She defended the union's approach, noting that ASUU exhausts all other options before considering industrial action. "Before ASUU embarks on any strike, it must have used every other means, if all fail, what do you expect us to do?" she questioned, adding that strike action appears to be "the only language that the government seems to understand."
The union is still recovering from its 2022 eight-month strike, with three and a half months of salaries still unpaid. "Our three months salaries are still pending, again we lost our members," Uduk revealed, highlighting that unlike core civil servants, lecturers must resume teaching from where they stopped rather than continuing as if nothing happened.
IPPIS Controversy Continues
Regarding the contentious IPPIS issue, Uduk explained that while it has been technically settled, "we are still under the shadows of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System." She criticized the government for rejecting ASUU's locally developed payment platform despite it scoring 93.5% in NITDA tests.
"We told them that information about the workforce in Nigeria should not be outsourced to foreign institutions," she said, expressing frustration that the government had requested ASUU to develop its own platform but then refused to implement it despite its high performance rating.
Uduk also addressed concerns about lecturers taking multiple jobs, defending the practice as standard globally. "Our work and conditions of service allow us to go on adjunct and sabbatical and it's the standard practice globally," she stated, noting that private universities often rely on public university lecturers.
Lack of Motivation and University Proliferation
When asked if lecturers are sufficiently motivated, Uduk was direct: "No, lecturers are not motivated, the government is not funding universities, nobody is motivated when salaries are at the same level, same pay for more than sixteen years since 2009."
She criticized the government's establishment of new universities while existing ones struggle for resources, suggesting these are often political paybacks. "That's why one thing that ASUU has been fighting against is proliferation of private and public universities because a government that is not even able to take care of the few, is setting up more to come and struggle for the little resources."
Breaking Barriers as Female Leader
As the first female zonal coordinator and first female officer at the national level (Financial Secretary), Uduk shared insights on navigating leadership as a woman. "ASUU is one Union in which everybody is equal. We don't consider gender in our union," she stated, though acknowledging that societal patriarchal tendencies might manifest covertly.
She recounted her experience becoming the first female chairperson at UniUyo: "I was told that the branch was not ready for a female chairperson. But it was actually the men who picked me. They said, 'we want to change the narrative.'"
On balancing career, unionism, and family responsibilities, Uduk emphasized the importance of boundaries and prioritization. "I don't feel it much; sometimes, it dawns on me that you are a wife you should be back home," she said, explaining how she managed household duties alongside professional responsibilities.
Her advice to young women navigating similar paths: "Know what you want, and face it without distractions and when you get married, you must balance it with responsibilities at home, don't allow anyone to suffer."
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