The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, reported a lack of official communication from the government on their indefinite strike over unpaid salaries, which has effectively shut down university activities nationwide.
The strike began on Monday after the unions cited over four months of withheld wages.
In an interview with PUNCH Online, SSANU National Vice-President Abdussobur Salaam confirmed no progress has been made despite informal appeals from the Ministry of Education. Salaam stated: “This issue has persisted for a long time, with repeated promises that have not been fulfilled. We urge the authorities to take decisive action.”
A statement from SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Prince Peters Adeyemi noted that the unions’ ultimatum expired Sunday at midnight. The unions are pressing for the payment of withheld salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances, and adherence to the 2009 agreement with the government.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment previously invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy against striking university-based unions, complicating negotiations. The unions have stressed they will maintain the strike until all demands, including the implementation of the August 2022 Memorandum of Understanding, are met.
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Credible News recalls that On Monday, members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, commenced an indefinite nationwide strike within campuses of public universities to demand the immediate release of their four months’ withheld salaries.
The two unions said it was appalling that despite several ultimatums issued to the government, no positive result has come from the government.
The two unions directed their members in all public universities and inter-university centres throughout the country to “hold a joint congress in their respective campuses on Monday, October 28, 2024, and proceed on an indefinite, comprehensive and total strike action as no concession should be given in any guise”.
It was reported that public universities across the nation were shut down and nothing moved administratively within public varsities in Nigeria as hostels and varsity gates were locked up and electricity supply was cut off by disgruntled non-academic staff.
The SSANU President said the government reached out to the striking unions on Monday but the meeting was nothing to look forward to based on antecedents of failed negotiations.
He said: “Well, in terms of reaching out, yes, informally, we have been reached out to but we are not too excited about it because we have had it severally but we hope that this time it will be different.
“There is a very short and fast way to solve this problem. Every process and procedure has been followed. What is remaining is for the payment to be made. The government should just direct that these payments should be released, with the touch of a button, because everything is electronic now.
“Once the payments are made, we will resume back to work. Nobody is happy. Prolonged renegotiation won’t achieve any result. What we want is action.”
Before now, the two unions had staged several protests and warning strikes to protest their withheld salaries by the Federal Government.
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