The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has sanctioned a seven-day warning strike commencing on March 18 due to the federal government’s failure to remit four months’ worth of withheld salaries to its members.
The decision for the strike was reached unanimously during the 47th NEC meeting held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State. The strike, set to begin immediately after the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) finalize the date this week, aims to compel the government to address the salary payment discrepancies.
SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s selective payment approach, emphasizing that while Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members were paid, non-teaching staff, including SSANU, NASU, and others, were left unpaid.
Ibrahim clarified that the strike would entail a complete shutdown of university activities for the duration of seven days, affecting essential services such as water, electricity, medical facilities, and office operations. He stressed that SSANU had extensively engaged stakeholders and provided sufficient notice before resorting to strike action.
In response to potential government inaction following the warning strike, Ibrahim outlined the union’s course of action, stating that JAC leadership would convene in Abuja to declare an indefinite strike if necessary.
Regarding the prior ultimatum issued by JAC, Ibrahim clarified that it served as a precursor to sensitizing the government about impending action, leading up to the decision for the warning strike.
Emphasizing the union’s adherence to due process and exhaustively exploring avenues for resolution, Ibrahim affirmed the union’s commitment to ensuring the welfare of its members and the broader university community.
As the strike deadline approaches, university stakeholders await developments in negotiations between the government and SSANU, with anticipation of a resolution to the salary payment impasse.