Nigerian university workers are set to begin a nationwide strike on Thursday, July 4, 2024, if the federal government fails to pay their withheld salaries.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), operating under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), announced this move following a two-week ultimatum they issued to the government.
During a meeting at the University of Benin in Edo State, SSANU’s President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, expressed frustration over the government’s failure to address their demands.
“We are deeply disappointed by the government’s insensitivity and deliberate efforts to create chaos in the university system. “We have been patient for too long, and we have now reached a point where we must act to secure our rights.”Ibrahim said in a statement.
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The unions have been waiting for the payment of four months’ salaries that the federal government has withheld since 2022. The government had previously negotiated a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the unions but failed to uphold it.
According to the communiqué issued by SSANU, the government has only made payments to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from the four university unions that went on strike in 2022.
“While we acknowledge that the government made payments to ASUU, we were expecting the same treatment for SSANU and NASU. We followed all legal procedures before going on strike, and we have been misled by promises from the Ministers of Education and Labour, as well as the House of Representatives,” Ibrahim noted.
SSANU and NASU are calling for the immediate settlement of the arrears and are prepared to take drastic actions if their demands are not met.
“On July 4, we will meet with the JAC to decide on our next steps. If the government fails to respond to our ultimatum, we will begin a full-scale strike and withdraw our services across all campuses,” Ibrahim said.
In addition to the unpaid salaries, the unions are also protesting the government’s recent decision to stop the N35,000 wage award meant to help workers cope with the removal of fuel subsidies. This award, which had already accumulated three months of arrears, was halted without resolving the financial difficulties it was intended to address.
“The stoppage of the wage award has only worsened our economic situation,” Ibrahim added.
The unions are also critical of the way the government has handled the issue of fuel subsidy removal.
“The wage award was never enough to alleviate our financial burdens, and now its suspension has made things even worse,” Ibrahim said.