Protests: SSANU, NASU suspend indefinite strike over 4-months withheld salaries

THE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU have suspended their planned indefinite strike as a result of the ongoing nationwide protests against hunger and bad governance.

The two unions through the Joint Action Committee, JAC, had on July 18, embarked on a national protest where they submitted letters to the Ministries of Education and Labour and Employment, demanding for the payment of the four months withheld salaries failure which they would embark on an indefinite strike.

The protest coincided with the meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the organized labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, on national minimum wage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where the labour leaders presented the issue of withheld salaries and the President immediately directed that the salaries should be paid.

However, the expiration of the one week deadline without any payment came at the time youths threatened to embark on nationwide protests.

Consequently, the unions through JAC decided to suspend their proposed indefinite strike with the reason that such action will be subsumed by the national protest and will not allow their issue to receive the desired attention from the government and necessary media publicity.

The JAC in a circular to all branch chairmen of NASU and SSANU, in the universities and inter-university centers entitled, “Latest development in respect of the withheld four (4) months salaries,” said it was obvious that the ten days grace given to the federal government has expired, but the strike action cannot be carried out because of the threat of the national protest that has attracted the attention of everybody in Government.

The circular which was signed by the General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi and the President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim read:

“The JAC of NASU and SSANU has decided to keep you updated on the latest development in respect of our ongoing agitations for payment of the arrears of four (4) months’ salaries withheld and the unimplemented agreement reached with the government on 20th August, 2022.

“It is no more news, that the last National Peaceful Protest held on 18th July, 2024 at Unity Fountain, Abuja was a success in spite of police harassment and intimidation as the protest was carried out with perfection and our letters of ultimatum giving the Government till midnight of Sunday, 28h July, 2024, were appropriately delivered to the offices of the Honourable Minister of Education and the Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment.

“Although, information at our disposal confirmed that the President at the National Minimum Wage meeting with the leaders of NLC and TUC actually directed that both Ministers of Finance and Education should find resources to pay the money. So far, no payment has been made.

“It is obvious that the ten (10) days grace given to the Federal Government has expired, but the strike action cannot be carried out because of the threat of the national protest that has attracted the attention of everybody in Government.

“It is the considered opinion of JAC that this may not be an auspicious time to embark on indefinite strike since such action will be subsumed by the national protest if at all it happens and will not allow our issues to receive the desired attention from the Government and necessary media publicity.

“Conclusively, JAC has taken a position that whatever will be the follow-up action regarding the indefinite strike anticipated will have to wait until the end of the national protest for us to direct appropriately.”