The ongoing industrial action by members of the Academic Staff Union of Tertiary Institutions in Benue State continued on Wednesday as meeting between the striking workers and the state government ended in a deadlock.
The union’s chairman, Chagbe Kurayemen, told journalists on Wednesday that there was no end in sight yet for the strike.
Kurayemen explained that instead for the state government to bring a proposal to the table, it mere appealed to the union to suspend the strike.
He added that at the end of the meeting, ASUTIBS and government agreed that they would meet again next week to itemise the issues and take decisions on them.
He insisted that the state government must document its appeals and resolutions before the union will back down.
In a statement to union members at the end of the meeting with government, ASUTIBS said, “Dear colleagues, be informed that ASUTIBS’ meeting with government today (Wednesday) ended in a deadlock.
“Subsequent development will be communicated accordingly. Meanwhile strike continues.”
The union members commenced an indefinite strike on Monday.
They are asking, among others, that government should address the issue of “improper implementation of the Benue State contributory pension scheme; and non-implementation of the new minimum wage and its consequential adjustment which should have commenced in 2019.
“Others are the improper interpretation and consequent unilateral and wrongful implementation of our schemes and services as well as the non-removal of the threat to implement the Benue State Health Insurance Scheme that we are opposed to.”
