Universities workers in Nigeria including the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have declared a 7-day warning strike.
DAILY GIST reports that the unions announced the strike to demand the payment of four months of withheld salaries of their members, after the 2022 nationwide strike.
The decision was part of the resolution of the joint action committee of the two unions, after a meeting held in Akure at the weekend.
DAILY GIST recalls that President Ahmed Bola Tinubu had directed that workers in the public universities that embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022 during Buhari’s administration should be paid for four months.
While the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation has paid the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, the four months as directed by the President, the three unions of non teaching staff are yet to be paid.
At its 47th NEC at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, Ondo State, members of SSANU voted unanimously for a seven day strike which would be followed immediately with an indefinite strike if the government remains adamant.
Speaking after the decision was taken, the SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim said, “What played out at today’s meeting clearly is that members have unanimously resolved that they will not accept this injustice meted on us, because there is no explanation that can scientifically or naturally be given to anyone as to why one group of our staff is paid and then the other three groups are left.
“Therefore, we have given the next one week where members will go back to their branches and sensitize our members. This time around, it is going to be a total strike. For seven days, there will be no water, no electricity, no medicals, no office work. Everybody will leave his office work until when those seven days reach.
“However, we are hopeful, we are prayerful that government listens and then does the needful because we also know that we have a responsibility for the society, for the university and for our students. So nobody should blame us if this thing happens, because we have given enough notices, we have made enough sensitization and we have contacted enough stakeholders.
“So it’s going to be total, it is going to be total black out in our campuses all through Nigeria. In those seven days until when that money is paid.”
Asked what would happen if the government remains adamant after the seven days warning strike, the SSANU President said: “Clearly, our organs and based on our constitution, will work with the provisions and that by Monday (today), we said our members should go back advertise for meetings, and then by Tuesday, they are supposed to meet in all the branches and Wednesday, they are supposed to return the feedbacks of the sensitization.
