The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have jointly declared a 7-day warning strike in protest of the non-payment of four months’ withheld salaries of their members following the 2022 nationwide strike.
The Herald gathered that the decision was reached by the joint action committee of the two unions during a meeting held in Akure over the weekend.
SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim, who read the communiqué to journalists in Abuja on Monday, stated that the decision to embark on the warning strike was a last resort after numerous protest letters and communications with the Federal Government failed to result in the payment of the withheld salaries.
The unions warned that if the Federal Government does not address the situation and respond to their previous letters, members may be forced to take further lawful and stringent actions.
This development comes after the unions accused the Federal Government of treating their members with ‘disdain’
Despite President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the payment of withheld salaries for university workers following their 2022 strike, SSANU, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) reported that they are yet to receive salaries for the said period.
The unions had issued a one-week ultimatum about two weeks ago.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the SSANU chief said that the Federal Government abandoned them.
“We have to speak like this because we have been clearly shown that we do not matter in the system. But we all know that there is no university that can function without the non-teaching staff because we are majorly populated by professionals.
“We own the engine of the administration of every university. They are treating this segment of staff with some disdain. It does not speak good of the system,” he said.
While acknowledging the Federal Government’s payment to their academic counterparts, SSANU and NASU insisted that their members also deserve to be paid.
The unions, in their statement, said that they could no longer guarantee industrial harmony on campuses if the government fails to address their salary concerns.