The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is optimistic that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will call off its strike before the expiration of the Dec. 9 deadline given by the government.
TUC president Bobboi Kaigama told newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja that the congress was optimistic that ASUU and the Federal Government would reach a consensus in the next few days.
The Executive Secretary of National University Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, announced the new deadline at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.
“We will mediate and call back both parties to the negotiation table. The good thing is that they are both committed to ending the strike,’’ Kaigama said.
He said that when he and NLC president Abduwahed Omar led ASUU leadership to negotiate with President Goodluck Jonathan, an agreement was not signed because ASUU wanted to “report back to its branches’’.
Kaigama added that the leadership of both TUC and NLC had resolved to wade into the matter again with the hope of achieving a truce.
“Myself and my colleague from the NLC will ensure that this issue is quickly resolved. The most important thing is that both parties want a quick end to the strike.
“What is happening right now is as a result of a break in communication,” he said.
He added that the threat by the Federal Government to sack lecturers and the reaction by ASUU were as a result of a break in communication between both parties.
The TUC president also expressed the confidence that no lecturer would be victimised at the end of the industrial action.
