Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have initiated an indefinite nationwide strike across public university campuses, demanding the immediate payment of their four months’ withheld salaries.
In a joint statement released on Sunday, SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi expressed their dismay at the lack of positive outcomes despite multiple ultimatums issued to the government.
The unions have instructed their members at all public universities and inter-university centers to conduct a joint congress on Monday, October 28, 2024, and to commence an indefinite and total strike, emphasizing that no concessions will be accepted.
On September 17, 2023, the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU issued the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum to settle the outstanding withheld salaries or face industrial action. Previously, the unions had organized several protests and warning strikes to address the issue of their eight months’ unpaid salaries by the Federal Government. During these warning strikes, operations within public universities came to a halt, with hostels and gates locked, and electricity cut off by disgruntled non-academic staff.
The unions criticized the Federal Government for disbursing withheld salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while ignoring the non-academic unions. In 2022, all unions participated in an eight-month strike to advocate for various demands, including improved welfare packages. The administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari enforced a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy against the unions, but last October, President Bola Tinubu approved the release of withheld salaries to ASUU members.
SSANU and NASU have accused the Federal Government of unfair treatment and discrimination for failing to provide them with the full eight months’ salary that their academic counterparts received. Former Education Minister Tahir Mamman attributed the non-payment to a “communication problem,” insisting that there was no discrimination against the non-academic staff.
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