The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is working to prevent a fresh wave of strikes in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
Speaking in an interview with The Nation on Sunday, Alausa disclosed that the government was engaged in “holistic negotiations” with various unions, stressing that it would be unnecessary for unions to proceed on strike while talks were ongoing.
Tension heightened on Sunday as the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) confirmed that its 21-day ultimatum, issued after its NEC meeting in Abuja on August 14, expired last night.
ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, told journalists on Tuesday that branch chairmen had met to deliberate on the union’s next steps.
The minister has urged unions that have already served notices to shelve their industrial action, assuring them that efforts were underway to meet their demands.