Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) are withdrawing their services from today.
The action is to protest government’s alleged failure to fulfil its promises to workers and “gross underfunding” of the tertiary education sub-sector.
The seven-day industrial action, according to a memo to branches of the unions dated March 15, is in fulfilment of the earlier ultimatum issued by the Federal Government to pay withheld salaries of members.
The notice, which was issued by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of both unions, and signed by National President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, and General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi, urged branch leaders to ensure total compliance.
The unions wondered why the government would pay part of the withheld salaries of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members and leave out SSANU and NASU.
The memo reads in part: “Please note that the seven-day warning strike should be comprehensive and total as no concession should be given in any guise. Your strict compliance and adherence to this directive is mandatory for all NASU and SSANU branches in the universities and inter-university centres.”
Having waited patiently for the ultimatum to expire without a positive response from the government, JAC said it has no other option than to embark on a warning strike.
It directed members to fully comply, noting that whatever happens within the seven days would determine the next line of action. With the strike, campuses would be left without light and water, while sanitation would be unattended to.
In 2022, two months after ASUU commenced a nationwide strike, both SSANU and NASU also embarked on nationwide strike that further crippled activities across campuses.
At the time, the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘no work, no pay’ policy and withheld workers’ salaries. SSANU queried the rationale behind the government’s decision, saying due process was followed before embarking on the strike that lasted four months.
President Bola Tinubu, recently, ordered payment of four months of the withheld salaries to ASUU members, raising concerns over the fate of other unions.
