Varsity workers suspend strike as FG pays 25% deducted salary

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 the ongoing strike for one month.

Some members of the union told our correspondent that they received a warning on Friday that they would have to pay a month’s salary of the four months the government owed them.

SSANU Vice President Abdussobur Salaam told our correspondent: “They have to pay for the four months. If they only pay one month, that is only 25 percent of what they owe us.”

On Monday, October 28, 2024, the JAC of SSANU and NASU began an indefinite strike over the withheld salaries of its members.

Since then, the activities have taken root in universities across the country.

However, after paying one month of four-month salaries on Friday, the unions, in a statement jointly signed by the National President, SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, and Secretary General, NASU, Peters Adeyemi, on Sunday urged resume on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

This showed that a high-level commitment culminated in obtaining an irrevocable commitment from the federal government that the two months of the four months of withheld salaries would be paid in installments.

“One month by the end of October 2024 (which is largely done), and then the second month by the end of November 2024.

“Further to the above and given the level of commitment shown by the new Minister and the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the leadership of JAC, after various contacts and other patriotic considerations, hereby orders that the continued indefinite strike for is suspended once. month effective Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

“Industry leaders from both NASU and SSANU are hereby directed to convene a joint conference on their respective campuses on Monday, November 4, 2024 and to engage close members of these developments and urge them to resume their work on Tuesday, November 5 to resume in 2024,” the statement said.

It added that during the industrial struggle, “we have had several extensive and in-depth consultations 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 of the Federal Ministry of Education, the Accountant General of the Federation and the leadership of the Ministry of State Services.

“The national leadership of the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU recognizes and commends our members in the universities and inter-university centers for their unwavering determination, unwavering determination and steadfast support for the ongoing strike action.”

The statement reiterated that discussions on the remaining two months, N50 billion earned allowances, 25/35 percent arrears and wage allocation had been reviewed and under consultation.

The unions are demanding, among other things, payment of the four months’ withheld salaries, better pay, earned allowances and implementation of the 2009 agreements with the government.

The federal government, through the Ministry of Labor and Employment, had invoked the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy when the four university unions embarked on a lengthy strike in 2022.