By Abiola Olawale
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have announced their intention to begin an indefinite strike on Monday, October 28, 2024.
This is as the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of non-teaching staff unions in the universities, which is coordinating the action, directed its members to proceed on the strike nationwide.
JAC, in a circular addressed to all branch Chairman of NASU and SSANU, said the strike is due to the non-payment of their four months withheld salaries from when they joined an industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) during the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The circular which was signed by Prince Peters Adeyemi, General Secretary of NASU and Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, SSANU President, explained that the strategic change in timing was for effective coordination and for both Unions to be on the same page.
The circular reads in part: “It is on record that the JAC of NASU and SSANU has issued multiple notices to the government to redress this ugly situation. However, the sincerity of the government to our cause is in doubt.
“However, the Trade Group Council Meeting of NASU branches in the Universities and Inter-University Centres has been scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 23rd, and Thursday, 24th October 2024, at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, and the arrangements for the meeting already concluded. Given this, the leadership of JAC has decided that the effective date for the strike be moved to midnight of Sunday, 27th October 2024, to allow the Branch Officers of NASU to be on the ground before commencing the strike.
“We had to do this strategic change in timing for effective coordination and for both Unions to be on the same page.
“We express our deepest appreciation for your steadfast commitment to the leadership and we affirm our determination to persist in this struggle until ultimate victory is secured.”
The New Diplomat reports that the two unions had cried out over what they described as unfair treatment and disparity in the payment of withheld salaries by the Federal Government.
SSANU and NASU had already embarked on a nationwide strike in March to press home their demand for the payment of the withheld salaries of their members by the Federal Government after the 2022 nationwide strike.
It would be recalled also that SSANU and NASU, on February 13, 2024, wrote protest letters to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, over the exclusion of the non-teaching staff from the payment of outstanding four months’ salaries.
SSANU queried the Nigerian government for paying the withheld salaries of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) leaving out the non-academic staff.
