The members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have commenced a nationwide strike over alleged unfair treatment and disparities in salary payment by the Federal Government.

SSANU had, last Monday, said it would embark on a seven-day warning strike over alleged discrimination in the payment of four months withheld salaries.

The National President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, who made this known via a communique issued at the end of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, said the four months withheld salaries arose from the nationwide strike action embarked upon by all unions in the public universities in the country.

Ibrahim noted that the NEC frowned at the latest action of the government which he said excluded SSANU and other non-teaching university-based unions from the payment of the four months withheld salaries.

He stressed that SSANU members, including Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, and Bursars have not received their 2022 arrears.

SSANU to embark on strike over withheld salaries

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Monday, March 18, Ibrahim declared that the strike had started.

The SSANU President said: “The strike has already started.

“As of today (Monday), all our workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students’ affairs have withdrawn their services and nothing moves within the administration of any public university in Nigeria and that will be the case for the next seven days until and unless the needful is done.”

He said no government representative has reached out to the non-academic unions, noting that though some have reached out unofficially, their assurances cannot be taken to the bank.

Ibrahim, who condemned the failure of some government officials to fully comply with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to pay 2022 arrears, said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, has not reached out to the aggrieved unions despite issuing a seven-day notice last Monday.

He added that the unions (SSANU and NASU) would hold a meeting and decide the next line of action should the government fail to heed the unions’ demands after the seven-day warning strike, which commenced on Monday, March 18.

The Star