The Joint Action Committee of Non-academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and Senior Staff Assassination of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), has issued a two-week ultimatum for the Federal Government to pay the arrears of four (4) months salaries withheld between May and August 24th, 2022, failure which members of the unions will down tools.
The grievance of the unions was conveyed in a letter dated 19th June, 2024, and addressed to the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, demanding immediate payment of the arrears of salaries without further delay.
The letter obtained by Nigerian Tribune was co-signed by the President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, and Secretary-general Comrade Peters Adeyemi.
The Unions lamented what they described as the deafening silence of Government and failure to pay the withheld salaries in spite of the warning strike earlier embarked upon by both members of NASU and SSANU as well as several letters to the government.
The letter read in part: “The Honourable Minister would recall that the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU embarked on a one week warning strike between March 18th, 2024 and March 24th 2024 to protest the denial of the arrears of four (4) months salaries withheld between May and August 24th, 2022.
“Following series of letters and the assurances of the payment, we write to remind the Honourable Minister of our various letters, engagements, assurances towards the payment of the four (4) months withheld salaries of SSANU and NASU.
“We wish to express our regrets and dismay that uptill date, the withheld salaries have not been paid to our members.
“We view it as an act of insincerity and neglect on the part of Government to the yearnings and aspirations of our members.
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“This also negates the spirit of collective bargaining and builds distrust.
“The deafening silence of Government and failure to pay the withheld salaries is creating high level of agitations and contentions among our members in the Universities and Inter- University Centres such that we can no longer guarantee industrial peace and harmony on University campuses.
“We therefore demand the immediate payment of the four (4) months withheld salaries to our members not later than two (2) weeks from the date of this correspondence; failing which we will be left with no option than to shut down the Universities and Inter-University Centres,” it stated.
