SSANU and NASU Declare 7-Day Warning Strike Over Withheld Salaries and Discrimination in Payment

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has announced a 7-day warning strike in conjunction with the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) to protest against the government’s alleged discrimination in payment of four months withheld salaries.

This decision was made during the union’s 47th Regular National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Monday.

The union’s National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, expressed concern over the government’s exclusion of SSANU and other non-teaching university-based unions from the payment of four months withheld salaries.

This action arose from the nationwide strike action embarked upon by all unions in the public universities in the country. The union views this discriminatory practice as an open invitation to industrial crisis.

SSANU has called on the relevant authorities of the government to immediately implement the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari by paying its members the four months withheld salaries.

Failure to do so will result in a one-week warning strike in conjunction with sister unions in the Joint Action Committe(JAC) of NASU.

In addition to the payment of withheld salaries, SSANU has also demanded the implementation of the 25% and 35% wage award, by factoring it into the monthly salaries of its members and payment of the arrears arising therefrom.

Furthermore, the union has called for the immediate reconstitution of a new committee for the renegotiation of the SSANU/FGN 2009 Agreement, as the issue is long overdue.

The union has also observed that 26 of its members are yet to be paid the arrears of the national minimum wage, which was approved in 2018.

SSANU urges the government to release the funds already appropriated for this purpose in the 2023 budget.

Moreover, the union has expressed grave concern over the sliding economy that is hardly witnessing any steady growth.

It calls on the government to introduce sound economic policies aimed at revamping the critically dysfunctional economy before it degenerates to an irredeemable level.

SSANU and NASU have declared a 7-day warning strike to protest against the government’s alleged discrimination in payment of four months withheld salaries, the non-payment of the national minimum wage arrears, and other pressing issues affecting the university system.

The unions demand immediate action from the government to address these concerns and prevent further industrial disharmony in the university system.