Varsity Unions End Warning Strike: SSANU and NASU Resume Work Immediately

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have called off their seven-day warning strike, directing their members to resume work immediately.

The unions had embarked on the strike last Monday to protest the withholding of their four months’ salaries.

SSANU and NASU had earlier criticized the federal government for paying withheld salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting the non-academic unions.

Both unions had been on an eight-month strike in 2022 to demand a better welfare package, but the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against them.

President Bola Tinubu, in October 2024, approved the release of four of the eight months withheld salaries.

However, the non-academic unions accused the federal government of unfair treatment and discrimination by failing to pay them like their academic counterparts.

The unions’ decision to shut down hostels, power supply, security, and administrative work in universities across the country drew criticism from Labour Minister Nkiruka Onyejeocha, who described the unions’ action as a total disregard for the federal government’s efforts to address their concerns.

With the strike now over, SSANU and NASU members are expected to resume their duties immediately, allowing universities to return to normal operations.