The indefinite strike action led by the Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has continued to paralyse university operations across Nigeria, with union leaders revealing that the Federal Government has yet to address their demands formally.
In an interview with PUNCH on Tuesday, Abdussobur Salaam, the National Vice-President of SSANU, disclosed that despite some informal communication from the Minister of State for Education, there has been no substantial progress.
There’s no update on the ongoing strike; it continues. Some informal contacts were made between the minister and our union executives, but there’s been no real progress, just an informal appeal, Salaam stated.
The JAC of SSANU and NASU launched their indefinite strike on Monday in response to four months of withheld salaries, long-standing grievances over earned allowances, improved remuneration, and the stalled implementation of a 2009 agreement with the government.
SSANU leaders assert their concerns have been met with “repeated promises that have not been fulfilled.”
The standoff deepened following a seven-day ultimatum, which expired at midnight on October 27, demanding payment of the outstanding salaries and the enactment of the August 2022 Memorandum of Understanding.
The strike follows a National Peaceful Protest held by JAC in July, during which a 10-day request was issued for the withheld salaries to be paid. This request ultimately went unheeded by the authorities.
Union representatives, including SSANU National President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Prince Peters Adeyemi, have condemned the Federal Government’s adherence to the “No Work, No Pay” policy invoked in 2022 during a similar strike.
They warn that without concrete action, their strike will continue indefinitely.
The recent invitation was merely an informal call on the phone. We urge the authorities to take decisive action; we have come too far and can no longer accept empty promises. If we don’t receive our payments, we won’t back down, Salaam asserted.
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