Stopping the Warned Strike, SSANU, NASU Urge Members to Get Back to Work
Both the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) called off their seven-day warning strike on Sunday.
The national president of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, issued a circular to the chairs of SSANU and NASU chapters around the country, instructing them to return to their jobs on Monday, March 25, 2024.
Temporary Recess
On Monday, March 18, 2024, the two unions went on a seven-day warning strike over unpaid salaries. Employees in the following departments: security, registry, bursary, works and maintenance, and students’ affairs withdrew their services.
Because of the lockdown of dorms and varsity gates and the loss of power, our reporters who visited public colleges around the nation found that administrative tasks at all of these institutions froze.
Protests have broken out between SSANU and NASU over federally withheld salaries. While the federal government paid the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) withheld payments, the non-academic unions were ignored, and the two unions blasted the government for this.
In 2022, all of the unions went on strike for eight months to get their demands met, one of which being an improved welfare package. In response, President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration instituted a “No Work, No Pay policy” to punish the unions; however, President Bola Tinubu authorised the release of four of the eight months’ worth of salaries that had been withheld in October of last year.
The Federal Government was accused of discrimination and unjust treatment by SSANU and NASU for not paying them the same as their academic peers.
Nkiruka Onyejeocha, the country’s labour minister, has harshly criticised the unions’ move, describing it as a complete lack of respect for the Federal Government’s combined efforts to address their concerns. The unions had previously given an initial notice on March 11, 2024, and a week later threatened to shut down dorms, power supply, security, and administrative tasks at universities nationwide.
“The tempo of the warning strike has been tremendous, complete, and total throughout most of our universities and inter-universities centres.” According to SSANU and NASU’s assessment of the seven-day warning strike.
“The commitment, determination, and allegiance of members to the cause of the union’s struggle for the payment of four months’ withheld earnings.” was lauded.
Following this, the seven-day warning strike will conclude at midnight on Sunday, March 24th, 2024, and regular work will start up again on Monday, March 25th, 2024, according to a portion of the circular.
The members have been told by SSANU and NASU that the fight for the payment of the salaries that have been withheld is continuing.
The unions assured members that they will keep in touch with the appropriate government agencies (executive and legislative) and that they will keep them informed of what’s next.