The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike across public universities, demanding the release of their four months’ withheld salaries.
The unions, in a statement co-signed by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, expressed disappointment at the Federal Government’s inaction despite multiple ultimatums.
“All members are directed to hold a joint congress in their respective campuses on Monday, October 28, 2024, and proceed on an indefinite, comprehensive, and total strike action with no concessions given in any guise,” the unions stated.
The strike follows a three-week ultimatum issued on September 17, 2023, by the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU, urging the Federal Government to pay the outstanding withheld salaries or face industrial action.
Previous protests and warning strikes by the unions had led to administrative shutdowns, including locked hostels and university gates and disruptions to essential services within campuses.
The unions accused the government of discriminatory practices, pointing out that while withheld salaries were paid to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the same was not done for SSANU and NASU members.
All the unions had embarked on an eight-month strike in 2022 to press for improved welfare, following which the government invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy.
However, in October, President Bola Tinubu approved the release of withheld salaries to ASUU members.
In response, SSANU and NASU condemned what they described as unfair treatment, noting that the withheld salaries owed to their members had yet to be paid in full.
They cited remarks by former Education Minister Tahir Mamman, who in April attributed the delay to a “communication problem” and denied any discrimination against non-academic staff.