2 weeks ago
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The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities have suspended its ongoing strike for a month.
Some members of the union told our correspondent that on Friday, they got an alert of payment of a month’s salary out of the four months the government owed them.
The Vice-President of SSANU, Abdussobur Salaam, told our correspondent “They should pay for the four months. If they paid just one month, that’s just 25 per cent of what they owe us.”
On Monday, October 28, 2024, the JAC of SSANU and NASU embarked on an indefinite strike over the withheld salary of its members.
Since then, activities have been grounded in universities across the country.
However, after payment of a month out of the four-month salaries on Friday, the unions, in a statement jointly signed by the National President, SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, and General Secretary, NASU, Peters Adeyemi, on Sunday, urged members to resume work on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
It revealed that a high-level engagement culminated in extracting an irrevocable commitment from the Federal Government that the two months of the four months of withheld salaries would be paid in staggered form.
“One month by the end of October 2024 (which has largely been done), then the second month to be paid by the end of November 2024.
“Arising from the above and given the level of commitment exhibited by the new minister and the leadership of the Department of State Services, the leadership of JAC, after several contacts and other patriotic considerations, hereby directs that the ongoing indefinite strike be suspended for one-month effective Tuesday, 5th November 2024.
“Branch leaders of both NASU and SSANU are hereby directed to convene a joint congress in their respective campuses on Monday, 4th November 2024 and intimate members of these developments and urge them to resume work on Tuesday, 5th November 2024,” the statement read.
It added that during the industrial struggle, “We have had several extensive and exhaustive deliberations with officials of the Federal Government, including the new Minister of Education, the Minister of Finance, the outgoing Minister of State for Education, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, the Accountant-General of the Federation and the leadership of the Department of State Services.
“The National leadership of the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU acknowledges and commends our members in the universities and inter-university centres for their unwavering resolve, unrelenting determination and steadfast support for the ongoing strike action.”
The statement reiterated that discussions on the remaining two months, the N50bn earned allowances, arrears of 25/35 per cent and the wage award had been revisited and were undergoing deliberations.
The unions are demanding, among others, the payment of the four-month withheld salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances and implementation of the 2009 agreements with the government.
The Federal Government had, through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, invoked the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy when the four university-based unions embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022.
