The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has vowed to shut down all activities in universities across the country beginning Monday (today) with an indefinite strike.
According to a statement released on Sunday and signed by SSANU’s National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, and NASU’s General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi, the ultimatum it issued to the Federal Government over withheld salaries ended at midnight on Sunday.
The unions are demanding, among other things, the payment of four-month withholding salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances, and the execution of the 2009 agreements with the government.
When the four university-based unions went on strike in 2022, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, implemented the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy.
Last October, President Bola Tinubu directed the payment of four of the academic staff’s eight-month deferred salary. It was eventually paid in February.
The directive made no mention of non-teaching staff, which raised concerns about their fate. The unions also objected to the decision, calling it selective.
The unions subsequently wrote to the government, issued ultimatums, protested, and staged warning strikes, but their four-month payments are still withheld.
The statement urged all state-owned universities to include their local demands in the strike action, as necessary.
“Your strict compliance and adherence to this directive is mandatory for all NASU and SSANU branches in federal and state-owned universities as well as inter-university centres,” it read.
It also said, “The last circular of the Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities titled “Latest Development in Respect of the Withheld Four Months’ Salaries” referenced JAC/NS/VOL.III/32 dated 21st October 2024 refers.
“The circular under reference gave seven days to the Federal Government to do the needful in respect of our demands for payment of outstanding four months’ salaries and implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sighed with the Federal Government on 20th August, 2022, which expires midnight of Sunday, 27th October, 2024.”
It is worth noting that at the most recent National Peaceful Protest of the JAC of NASU and SSANU, which took place on July 18, 2024, at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, the government was given a 10-day deadline to pay the withheld salaries in order to avoid shutting down activities in universities and inter-university centres with no consequences.
“It is quite appalling that we have issued several ultimatums thereafter with no positive result from the government; it is therefore obvious that the government is not positively disposed to our rightful and legitimate demands in spite of several interactions, dialogues, exchange of correspondences, and assurances of payment, all to no avail.
“We have exercised considerable and prolonged patience, allowing multiple deadlines to pass without receiving a satisfactory response to our demands by the government,” said the statement, “This is to direct all our members in the 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.”
Members of SSANU are in charge of major facilities on campuses, which has sparked fears of a standstill of activities if the strike begins today.
“Our members are in charge of water supply, electricity, communication, internet supply, security, and finance; if they pay this money tomorrow (today), we will call off the strike,” SSANU boss Ibrahim told reporters.
The strike holds as President Bola Tinubu directed outgoing Minister of Education Prof Mamman Tahir to hand over office to the incoming Dr Tunji Alausa on Wednesday.
Efforts to contact the Federal Ministry of Education for a response to the industrial action by both unions were fruitless as of the time of reporting this story.
The union went on a one-week warning strike in March after receiving no response to its letters to the education minister and the Chief of Staff to the President.
In July, the unions organised a statewide protest to draw the government’s attention to their predicament.
Following the July meeting, Folashade Boriowo, a spokesperson for the education ministry, stated that the withheld pay checks had been conveyed to the highest level of government and were being addressed.
Earlier this month, the union issued a seven-day ultimatum over the withheld salaries, but the measure failed to produce the desired results.
“It is quite appalling that we have issued several ultimatums thereafter with no positive result from the government; it is therefore obvious that the government is not positively disposed to our rightful and legitimate demands in spite of several interactions, dialogues, exchange of correspondences, and assurances of payment, all to no avail,” the unions said in the statement.
Last month, the SSANU announced plans to go on indefinite strike if their outstanding salaries were not paid within three weeks.
They demanded, among other things, the payment of four months’ withheld salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances, and the implementation of the 2009 agreements with the government.
In a joint statement signed by SSANU President Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Adeyemi, the unions stated that the Federal Government was given a 10-day grace period, which expired on July 26, 2024, to pay the four months of outstanding salaries to university staff, with the threat of closing universities and inter-university centres if the payment was not made.
However, six weeks after the grace period ended, the government has yet to fulfil its commitment.
“It is in respect of the above that we write to inform the government of the decision of the National JAC of NASU and SSANU at the meeting held on 12th September 2024, that the government be given another three weeks’ final ultimatum from Tuesday, 17th September 2024, to pay the four months’ withheld salaries and also implement the agreement reached with it on 20th August 2022, failing which our members may be forced to embark on indefinite strike action at the expiration of the ultimatum.”
The unions noted that they were aware that Tinubu had approved the payment of the outstanding four months’ withheld salaries but that this was not implemented by relevant government officials.
“We have it on good authority that Mr. President has given approval for the payment of the four months’ withheld salaries as far back as 18th July 2024 at the national minimum wage meeting with the leadership of NLC and TUC.
“Of recent, we also heard that Mr. President has given approval for the actual release of the payment. Regrettably, nothing has been forthcoming despite all the approvals,” both unions stated in September.
