SSANU, NASU End Warning Strike, Direct Members To Resume Work
Sunday marked the end of the seven-day warning strike by members of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim instructed branch chairmen at public institutions around the nation to return to work on Monday, March 25, 2024.
A One-Week Pause
Workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students' affairs withdrew their services on Monday, March 18, 2024, marking the start of a seven-day warning strike by the two unions over unpaid salaries.
When our correspondents went to public institutions around the nation, they saw that all administrative activity had stopped at all Nigerian public universities due to locked varsity gates, dorms, and power outages.
The federal government's withholding of pay is being protested by SSANU and NASU. The two unions chastised the federal government for failing to pay the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) its withheld payments while ignoring the unions that are not academic.
In order to push for some of their objectives, such as an improved welfare package, all of the unions had gone on an eight-month strike in 2022. Then-President Muhammadu Buhari's administration then applied a "No Work, No Pay policy" to the unions, but in October of last year, President Bola Tinubu authorised the release of four of the eight months withheld salaries.
Because they were not paid equally to their academic colleagues, SSANU and NASU claimed that the Federal Government was treating them unfairly and discriminatorily.
The unions issued a notice on March 11, 2024, and a week later, they carried out their threat by shutting down administrative offices, power supplies, hostels, and security at universities across the nation. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, the Labour Minister, harshly criticised this development, calling the unions' actions a complete disregard for the Federal Government's concerted efforts to address their concerns.
"The Next Steps To Be Taken"
throughout contrast, SSANU and NASU declared that "the tempo of the warning strike has been massive, comprehensive, and total in most of our universities and inter-universities centres" in their assessment of the seven-day strike.
To the "dedication, resoluteness and loyalty of members to the cause of the union's struggle for the payment of four months' withheld salaries," they gave praise.
"Therefore, you are hereby notified that the seven-day warning strike will terminate at midnight on Sunday, March 24, 2024, and regular work will commence on Monday, March 25, 2024," a portion of the circular stated.
Members are reassured by SSANU and NASU that the fight to get the paychecks that were withheld is still continuing strong.
The unions committed to providing members with updates on the future course of action(s) and to maintain "meaningful engagement with the relevant Government Agencies in both Executive and Legislative Arms."
