The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of non-teaching staff unions in Nigeria’s federal universities has announced that its members will embark on an indefinite nationwide strike, starting on October 28.
The decision is in response to the government’s failure to pay four months of withheld salaries owed to union members.
The JAC represents the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
In a circular sent from Abuja to all branch chairpersons in universities and inter-university centres, the unions directed their members to join the strike.
The circular was signed by NASU’s General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, and SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim.
The salary issue dated back to 2022, during which the federal government, under then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, withheld salaries of university staff who participated in an eight-month strike.
Although President Bola Tinubu’s administration approved the release of four months’ worth of withheld salaries in October 2023, only members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) were paid.
Non-teaching staff in NASU and SSANU were excluded from the payments, leading to accusations of “unfair treatment and discrimination.”
Attempts to resolve the matter have been ongoing. In July, NASU and SSANU staged a pre-strike protest to press for federal action on the salary issue.
Since then, the unions have engaged in discussions with the ministries of education and labour, but no resolution has been reached. According to JAC, they have issued multiple formal notices seeking redress but have yet to receive the payments.
“Because of this, the leadership of JAC has decided that the effective date for the strike be moved to midnight of Sunday, 27th October 2024,” the circular reads.
“This is to allow the branch officers of NASU to be on the ground before commencing the strike. We have to do this strategic change in timing for effective coordination and for both unions to be on the same page.”
The committee expressed gratitude to its members for their support and reaffirmed its commitment to the cause. “We express our deepest appreciation for your steadfast commitment to the leadership, and we affirm our determination to persist in this struggle until ultimate victory is secured,” the circular added.
Boluwatife Enome
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