| Academic Staff Union of Universities | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1978 |
| Type | Trade union |
| Official languages | English |
| Website | www.asuunigeria.org/index.php |
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a Nigerian union of university academic staff, founded in 1978, with a history of militant action.
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The ASUU was formed in 1978, a successor to the Nigerian Association of University Teachers formed in 1965 and covering academic staff in the University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Ife and University of Lagos.[1]
The union was active in struggles against the military regime during the 1980s.[1] In 1988 the union organized a National Strike to obtain fair wages and university autonomy. As a result, the ASUU was proscribed on August 7, 1988 and all its property seized. It was allowed to resume in 1990, but after another strike was again banned on August 23, 1992. However, an agreement was reached on September 3, 1992 that met several of the union's demands including the right of workers to collective bargaining. The ASUU organized further strikes in 1994 and 1996, protesting against the dismissal of staff by the Sani Abacha military regime.[1]
After the return to democracy in 1999 with the Nigerian Fourth Republic, the union continued to be militant in demanding the rights of university workers against opposition by the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo.[1] In July 2002 Dr. Oladipo Fashina, national president of ASUU, petitioned Justice Mustapha Akanbi of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to investigate the authorities of the University of Ilorin for financial mismanagement and corruption.[2]
In 2007, the ASUU went on strike for three months.[3] In May 2008, the ASUU held two one-week 'warning strikes' to press a range of demands, including an improved salary scheme and reinstatement of 49 lecturers who were dismissed many years ago.[4] In June 2009 the ASUU ordered its members in federal and state universities nationwide to proceed on an indefinite strike over disagreements with the Federal Government's on an agreement it reached with the union about two and a half years ago.[5] After three months of strikes, in October 2009 the ASUU and other staff unions signed a memorandum of understanding with the government and called off the industrial action.[6]