Due to the Federal Government’s failure to pay the four months’ withheld of salaries that have been delayed, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has threatened to close universities on Thursday, July 4.
After the 48th National Executive Council meeting in Benin City, Edo state, SSANU threatened to stop providing services to all Nigerian universities until their demands were granted.
This is contained in a communiqué signed by Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, the union’s president.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of Labor Unions strongly advised the federal government to take the necessary action to prevent systemic disruption accusing government of giving one union preferential treatment over another.
The Joint Action Committee, JAC, comprising SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, had issued a two week ultimatum to the Federal Government to pay its members the four months withheld salaries.
According to the communique, out of the four University based unions that embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022, the federal government had paid the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, leaving behind the other three unions.
“While we do not begrudge the payment made to our colleagues, we expected same gesture to be extended to SSANU and NASU that legally complied with all procedures before embarking on the Industrial action”
The communique stated. “Despite all promises and media hypes by the Ministers of Education and Labour, including the House of Representatives to pay these arrears, Government has continued to dribble SSANU, even after the mutual agreement to suspend the one week warning strike in March this year.”
It notes that NEC in session deliberated on the matter and unanimously approved a long drawn comprehensive industrial action after concurrence with the Joint Action Committee meeting of SSANU and NASU scheduled for Thursday 4th July, 2024, if Government fails to their demand.
On the government’s approved wage award of N35,000 which had been stopped, the Unions noted the “gross inability of the wage award to heal the excruciating financial wounds which has further compounded the pains of the staff.
“Many states are yet to effect payment of the wage award to our members in state universities thereby increasing their economic woes”.
NEC called on the Federal Government to immediately resume the payment of the wage award alongside the accrued three months arrears without further delay.
