SSANU And NASU Suspend Strike Following Partial Payment Of Withheld Salaries.
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have announced the suspension of their indefinite strike, effective Tuesday, 5 November 2024. This decision was conveyed in a circular from the unions’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) to branch chairpersons across Nigeria on Sunday.
The strike suspension follows a recent statement from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), confirming that payments to members of the unions had commenced, with several members reporting receipt. Both unions began the strike last Monday after the government failed to pay their members’ withheld salaries from four months in 2022.
In response to the strike, the outgoing Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, alongside the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Nasir Gwarzo, met with union leaders on Thursday. However, that meeting ended in a deadlock, as union representatives insisted they would only suspend the strike once salaries were received.
According to a joint statement from SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, the unions decided to suspend the strike following assurances from the Ministers of Education and Finance. The government has agreed to pay two of the four months’ withheld salaries, with one month’s payment scheduled for the end of October and the second by the end of November.
The statement reads, in part, “In view of the commitment shown by the new minister and leadership of the Department of State Service, the JAC leadership, after various engagements and other considerations, directs that the ongoing indefinite strike be suspended for one month, effective Tuesday, 5th November 2024.”
The unions noted that discussions are ongoing regarding the remaining two months of withheld salaries, as well as additional demands, including N50 billion in Earned Allowances, arrears for 25/35 per cent increments, and a wage award.
The non-academic staff’s four months’ salaries were initially withheld under the government’s “No Work, No Pay” policy, which was enforced during a lengthy university workers’ strike in 2022. The academic staff, who were on strike for eight months, recently received partial payment of withheld salaries after a court order. Non-academic unions, however, had been left unpaid, intensifying their efforts for equal treatment.
With this recent agreement, the unions have opted for a temporary one-month suspension of the strike as discussions continue regarding outstanding issues.
