SSANU, NASU threaten strike over unpaid salaries

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) are cautioning against potential disruptions to the industrial peace in Nigerian universities. This caution arises from the government’s failure to release the withheld salaries of their members, a consequence of a 2022 strike under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a joint statement disclosed on Friday, SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to settle four months of withheld salaries for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting the non-academic staff.

The unions highlighted the perceived injustice and questioned the government’s reasoning behind this selective payment. They underscored in the statement that ensuring industrial harmony within universities would be challenging if the government persists in withholding the salaries owed to their members.

This declaration raises concerns about the potential for widespread industrial action that could disrupt academic activities across Nigerian universities.

Earlier, on February 13, 2024, the unions voiced their concerns through protest letters addressed to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman.

These letters outlined their dissatisfaction with the exclusion of non-teaching staff from the payment of outstanding salaries, emphasizing a sense of marginalization within the university system’s workforce.

The letter conveyed, “We are therefore surprised that two weeks after the letters had been sent and received by the appropriate authorities, the Federal Government has remained silent and unwilling to address this sensitive issue. It appears as if the Federal Government is taking our patience for granted.

“We reiterate through this medium to the Federal Government that the pressure on us has intensified. While we acknowledge the Federal Government for compensating our Academic counterparts, we also insist on the need for our members to be remunerated. Signals from our members within universities and inter-university centers indicate that sustaining industrial peace in the university sector is becoming untenable.

“We use this opportunity again to call on the Federal Government to act appropriately within the next seven days, as the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU cannot be held responsible if the university sector’s administration and corporate governance come to a standstill. We have exercised enough patience.

“If the Federal Government fails to positively address this situation and respond to our previous letters within the stipulated time, the members of the two Unions may be compelled to convene soon to make lawful and stringent decisions on the matter.”