SSANU and NASU Launch Indefinite Strike Over Withheld Salaries Amid Government Inaction
Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have commenced an indefinite nationwide strike within campuses of public universities to demand the immediate release of their four months’ withheld salaries.
In a joint statement on Sunday, SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi expressed their dismay at the government’s lack of response to repeated ultimatums regarding withheld salaries. They have directed their members across all public universities and inter-university centers to hold joint congresses on Monday, October 28, 2024, and to initiate an indefinite and comprehensive strike, stating that no concessions will be accepted.
On September 17, 2023, the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU issued a three-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to pay the outstanding salaries or face industrial action. This follows a series of protests and warning strikes due to eight months of unpaid salaries, which led to complete administrative disruptions in public universities, with non-academic staff locking hostels and cutting off electricity.
The unions criticized the government for prioritizing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by paying their withheld salaries while neglecting non-academic staff. In 2022, all unions participated in an eight-month strike advocating for better welfare packages. The administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari enforced a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy against the unions, but last October, President Bola Tinubu authorized the release of withheld salaries for ASUU members.
SSANU and NASU have accused the government of unfair treatment and discrimination for not paying them the full eight months of salaries that their academic counterparts received. In April, then Education Minister Tahir Mamman attributed the non-payment to a “communication problem” and denied any discrimination against SSANU and NASU members.
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