A former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi has revealed that a fresh strike by lecturers of public universities in the country cannot be ruled out in 2023.
Ogunyemi disclosed this on Saturday while featuring on Channels TV’s 2022: In Retrospect, an End-Of-Year special programme.
Recall that ASUU embarked on industrial action that lasted over eight months in 2022 following demands for improved welfare and owed earned allowances, among others.
However, ASUU ended the strike following the Industrial Court’s judgement asking its members to return to work.
But the Federal Government only paid the lecturers half their salaries for the month of October, citing its no-work, no-pay policy as the reason.
Ogunyemi said the Federal Government is insensitive to the plights of ASUU and noted that it is an injustice not to pay its members in arrears as they work in arrears as well.
“We must understand what triggers strike action. I don’t think anybody can promise you there will be no strike (in 2023),” Ogunyemi said.