NASU Demands Same Allowances As ASUU, Warns Industrial Unrest

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has called for an allowance structure equal to that of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), arguing that all university workers face the same economic challenges and should receive fair and equitable welfare benefits.

NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, made the demand on Sunday while speaking with journalists during the 114th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

According to Adeyemi, the ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government should reflect fairness across all categories of university workers, stressing that non-academic staff contribute significantly to the administration and smooth operation of tertiary institutions.

The union’s position comes after the Federal Government approved a 40 per cent increase in allowances for members of ASUU, a development NASU says further justifies its demand for parity.

“We are demanding that whatever is given to ASUU should also be given to us because we face the same economic realities,” he said.

Adeyemi disclosed that NASU had previously rejected a Federal Government proposal of a 30 per cent increase in allowances, describing it as insufficient when compared to the package approved for academic staff.

“Government offered us 30 percent and we said no. Though they are our senior colleagues, but we all go to the same market and buy the same fuel,” Adeyemi said.

He maintained that soaring inflation and the rising cost of living make it necessary for all workers within the university system to be treated equally, noting that daily expenses affect both academic and non-academic staff alike.

“The cost of living affects all workers equally. We cannot accept a situation where one group receives significantly better allowances than another,” he said.

The NASU chief explained that discussions with the Federal Government have reached an advanced stage and are nearing completion within the university sector. He added that the outcome of the negotiations is also expected to influence similar discussions in polytechnics and colleges of education where NASU members are employed.

Adeyemi, however, warned that the government’s failure to implement agreements reached with labour unions has often been responsible for industrial disputes in the education sector.

“When agreements are freely entered into, they should be implemented. Failure to do so only creates avoidable crises in the education sector,” he warned.

While expressing optimism that ongoing negotiations would produce a favourable outcome, Adeyemi reiterated NASU’s commitment to dialogue, insisting that the union would continue to push for equal treatment and improved welfare for non-academic staff across federal tertiary institutions.