Radio TNT 102.5 FM

Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige has lamented the uncooperative and anti-labour attitude of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

He regretted that the current ASUU strike had prolonged because the university teachers had made negotiation difficult.

Ngige spoke yesterday on a live interview programme on SilverBird Television.

In a statement by the Acting Head of Press and Public Relations, Patience Onuobia, the minister said his children were affected by the current ASUU strike.

Ngige said the role of the minister of Labour is to conciliate disputes and does not include the implementation of agreements so reached with parties.

He dismissed talks that he was responsible for the ongoing action by the union.

ASUU had on February 14, declared a warning strike following the failure of the Federal Government to deploy the University Transparency and Accountability Solution and other demands.

The strike, according to the union, was due to the failure of the government to implement the re-negotiated 2009 agreement since May last year.

ASUU also accused the Federal Government of working against the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), a payment platform designed by ASUU as an alternative to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) of the government.

Despite series of meetings with the Federal Government team chaired by Senator Ngige, both sides have failed to reach an agreement.