No work, no pay dispute: FG invites unions as strike grounds varsities

In accordance with the indefinite strike declared by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, federal universities nationwide were closed on Monday.

SSANU and NASU made a commitment on Sunday evening to permanently halt all university operations nationwide, beginning on Monday, unless the Federal Government reimbursed them for the four months of salary that were withheld.

The deadline it set the Federal Government for its delayed salary ended at midnight on Sunday, according to a statement released on Sunday and signed by Peters Adeyemi, the General Secretary of NASU, and Mohammed Ibrahim, the National President of SSANU.

Among other things, the unions are calling for the implementation of the 2009 agreements with the government, better compensation, earned allowances, and the payment of the four months' worth of delayed earnings.
When four university-based unions went on a protracted strike in 2022, the Federal Government, acting through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, invoked the "No Work, No Pay" policy.

President Bola Tinubu ordered the payment of four of the academic staff's eight months' worth of unpaid salary last October. In February, it was ultimately paid.

Concerns regarding the fate of the non-teaching workers were raised by the directive's silence, which the unions characterised as selective.
The representatives of the university workers' union were contacted by the Federal Ministry of Education on Monday after an indefinite strike.
Ibrahim told our correspondent in Abuja on Monday that he had received a request for a meeting from the ministry.

Ibrahim remarked, "Well, since there is no formal communication to that effect, I will say unofficial (meeting)."

In a phone call, the Minister of State for Education said that the incoming minister had called to request a meeting in Abuja today, but that it was not possible because I was not available.

"The majority of us are not based in Abuja and all of that, as you are aware."

Ibrahim said the Federal Ministry of Education probably requested a meeting because of the compliance shown in universities on Monday.

There wasn't much action at the university of Lagos on Monday, as the school was on holiday.
Our correspondent's monitoring exercise showed that SSANU and NASU members followed the strike order even though the University of Lagos was on vacation.

According to Mr. K.T. Fashola, the branch chairman of SSANU at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife, who spoke to our correspondent, there was roughly 55% compliance in the school because of earlier scheduled events on Monday.

Indeed, about 55% of our members agreed because Monday is the first day and there were already a lot of planned activities that the school was unable to cancel. Compliance is present.

Mr. Felix Adunbi, the chairman of SSANU at Federal University Technology, Akure, clarified that the organisation convened its congress in accordance with the national guideline, and they wholeheartedly agreed with that position.
"Until the Federal Government takes the necessary action, our members have been told to go back home.

"SSANU called its congress this morning (Monday) to convey the national message, notwithstanding NASU's directive for its members to remain at home since late Sunday night.

Adunbi urged the government to behave honourably, saying, "After that, everyone went back to their respective homes, and all administrative duties have been suspended until further notice."

"The President authorised the required funds last year, and ASUU was subsequently paid," he continued.

"We have planned several demonstrations in response to this problem. We are still baffled by the Ministry of Finance's decision to withhold these monies, nevertheless.

"We beg the government to keep its promise. Why is there a delay if the President has given his approval? The Ministry of Finance, the agency responsible for these payments, must act swiftly to release our funds.”

At the University of Benin, activities were disrupted on Monday following the strike.
The union leadership announced at a joint congress at the university's sports complex on the Ugbowo campus that a monitoring committee had been established to make sure those impacted were complying.

Students were not permitted to use the health facility, sports complex, or library.

Private security companies hired by the administration were observed operating at the school gate.

“The President said they should give us 50 percent of what they owe us, which is two months, so we gladly left and happily told our people that we were expecting two months salary and let us start from somewhere,” said Anthony Igbinosa, the chairman of the UNIBEN branch of NASU, during the meeting.
However, since July 18th, there has been over three months, we are told that it is the Minister of Finance that is sitting on the President’s directive. But if the President is serious, will an appointee be sitting on his directive?”

His SSANU counterpart, Broderick Osewa, said, “To ensure compliance, we have decided that we should commence and there is a monitoring team that will go round and we will make sure that there is total compliance in our university.”

Both bodies shut down the Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, following the nationwide strike.
The university's campus was abandoned on Monday, paralysing activities there.

Following a joint emergency Congress, Adedeji Suara, the chairman of the SSANU at Federal University Lokoja, told reporters at the FUL campus in Felele, "We don't like the way the Federal Government is treating us." We went on strike in 2022, and for four months, we were not paid. Even though our sister union, ASUU, received 50% of their own withholding pay, the Federal Government has not yet paid us salaries since that specific period.

The President has generously stated that our four-month salary ought to be paid, but the system users we are interacting with have raised a two-month memo.