The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has picked holes in the continuous closure of universities by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying the action has caused untold damage to education in the country.
It was ready to join the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in its planned industrial action to further compel the Federal Government to address the demands of ASUU.
It urged aviation workers nationwide to remain at alert for commencement of solidarity industrial action that may be directed by the NLC and its affiliates on the matter, which may come at short notice.
NUATE in a statement by Comrade Ocheme Aba, its General Secretary, lamented that the position of the Federal Government had further dampened the hope of the future generation of the country.
It added that the present circumstances had done incalculable and irreversible damage to the educational trajectory of Nigerian children, especially those from the poor families whose parents are unable to afford the high cost of private education.
The union maintained that the union was in complete support of the position of the National Executive Council of NLC, which directed the government to immediately resolve the protracted strike.
It added: “This situation is worsened by the laiz-a-fez attitude the Federal Government has adopted towards resolving the imbroglio brought about in the first place by Government’s failure to play its part in the agreement with ASUU. This situation is deeply worrying, to say the least.NUATE, therefore, completely supports the position of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to the effect that Government must immediately resolve the prolonged ASUU strike. It is totally unacceptable to allow the education of the children of poor workers, and other poor citizens, to be so badly truncated as to become worthless.”
The union said it totally supported the public demonstrations ordered by NLC to call on the Federal Government to urgently resolve the imbroglio.
It declared that NUATE was ready to embark on industrial action in solidarity with ASUU, should the Federal Government fail to heed the call to duty over this matter.
