THE NEED TO AVOID INDUSTRIAL ACTION IN THE NATION'S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES BY MATTHEW ATUNGWU.

Industrial action is any measure taken by Trade Unions or other Organized Labour meant to reduce productivity in a workplace. Quite often, it is used and interpreted as a euphemism for strike, or mass strike, but the scope is much wider. Industrial action may take place in the context of a labour dispute or may be meant to effect political or social change. In recent times, the nation's public universities had embarked on industrial action in order to press home their demands. In 2013, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, embarked on over seven-months old nationwide strike.

 Similarly, in 2015, just before the general elections, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Benue State University Chapter, ASUU-BSU, embarked on almost a five-month old strike, which was a collosal delay of destiny for the students. Just as the old saying that goes, "when two elephants engage in a physical combat, it is the grass that suffer". This implies that, students are always at the receiving end of any industrial action that occurs.

 This will force these students to go stay at home and await government's response that would end the strike. At this time, so many students will be exposed to all sorts of social vices that would be a threat to the nation's economy and the society at large. Some of the female students might go into prostitution that may even cause them their lives or pre-mature parenting through unwanted pregnancy, which in a normal circumstances wouldn't have occurred if they were in school.

Another disturbing consequence of industrial action is the stagnation of academic calendar, which would thwart or delay the destinies of these students. It is against these backdrops that i call on the stakeholders to synegize with government by going into a peaceful dialogue with ASUU with the view to averting any intending industrial action for a smooth running of academic calendar in the nation's public universities.