Unpaid Salaries: SSANU, NASU declare warning strike over withheld salaries
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have declared a seven-day warning strike – beginning March 18 – for the payment of their members’ withheld four-month salaries after the 2022 nationwide strike.
The decision was part of the resolutions approved by the joint action committee (JAC) of both unions after their meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at the weekend.
SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim, who signed the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, said the decision to embark on the warning strike was taken as a last resort.
The union leader said several protest letters and other communications with the Federal Government did not result in the payment of the withheld salaries.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari had withheld the salaries of university workers who went on strike in 2022.
But last October, President Bola Tinubu ordered the payment of four out of the withheld eight-month salaries of all lecturers.
Last month, the Federal Government paid members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) four of the eight months salaries.
This has led to protest from the three university-based unions – SSANU, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
The communiqué reads: “The National Executive Council (NEC) in session seriously frowns at the latest action of the government which excluded SSANU and other non-teaching university-based unions from the payment of the four months withheld salaries arising from the nationwide strike action embarked upon by all unions in our public Universities.
While SSANU is not averse to the payment of the withheld salary to our sister union, ASUU, it, however, views this action as a clear violation and breach of the post-strike agreement with (the Federal) Government on non-victimisation of our members who participated in the strike.
“We strongly oppose this discriminatory practice, which we view as the government’s open invitation to industrial crisis. Credible information available to us has it that the directive of Mr. President is for all university-based unions to be paid four months’ salary.
NEC, therefore, suspects saboteurs in this government bent on destabilising and destroying the good intent of Mr. President towards sustaining industrial peace in the university system.
“NEC in session, therefore, calls on the relevant authorities of government to immediately implement the directive of Mr. President by paying our members the four months withheld salaries, failing which NEC has approved a one-week warning strike in conjunction with our sister union in JAC, NASU.”
