Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have launched an indefinite nationwide strike within public university campuses, demanding the release of their four months’ withheld salaries.
In a statement co-signed by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, the unions expressed frustration over the government’s lack of action despite multiple ultimatums. They instructed members across all public universities and inter-university centres to hold a joint congress on Monday, October 28, 2024, and commence an indefinite, comprehensive strike with no concessions.
Previously, on September 17, 2023, the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU had issued a three-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to address the outstanding salaries or face industrial action. Despite several protests and warning strikes over their eight months’ withheld salaries, no administrative activities moved within any public university in Nigeria, with hostels and gates locked and electricity supply cut off by non-academic staff.
The unions criticized the Federal Government for releasing withheld salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting the non-academic unions. Following an eight-month strike in 2022 to demand better welfare, the government invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy.’ Although President Bola Tinubu last October approved the release of withheld salaries to ASUU members, SSANU and NASU accused the government of discrimination for not paying them the full eight months’ salaries like their academic counterparts.
Former Education Minister Tahir Mamman had attributed the non-payment to a “communication problem,” insisting there was no discrimination against SSANU and NASU members.
