The striking unions have rejected any possibility of a meeting or negotiation with the Federal Government, demanding that the Ministry of Finance “do the needful” by electronically transferring withheld salaries to all members.
On Monday, members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) launched an indefinite, nationwide strike across public university campuses, demanding the immediate release of four months’ withheld salaries. The unions expressed frustration that multiple ultimatums had failed to yield results.
In a directive, the unions instructed members at all public universities and inter-university centers to “hold joint congresses on their respective campuses on Monday, October 28, 2024, and initiate a full-scale, indefinite strike with no exceptions.”
Our correspondents reported that operations across public universities came to a halt as hostels and gates were locked and electricity supply was disrupted by dissatisfied non-academic staff.
‘We Want Action, Not Words’
SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim revealed that while the government had informally reached out to the unions on Monday, their expectations were tempered due to prior experiences with unproductive negotiations.
“We have been contacted informally, but we aren’t too optimistic due to the history of stalled discussions,” Ibrahim said. “There’s a quick solution: every process has been completed. Now, it’s simply a matter of pressing a button to release these payments electronically.
“Once the payments are made, we will return to work. No one is pleased with the ongoing delay—prolonged negotiations won’t lead anywhere. What we need now is action.”
Previously, both unions held protests and warning strikes to protest the withheld salaries. They criticized the Federal Government for releasing salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting non-academic staff.
The unions had joined an eight-month strike in 2022 to demand improved welfare. The former administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had responded with a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy, but last October, President Bola Tinubu authorized the release of ASUU’s withheld salaries. SSANU and NASU accuse the government of discrimination for failing to restore their full eight-month pay.
In April, former Education Minister Tahir Mamman attributed the delayed payment to a “communication problem” but denied any discrimination against the unions.
