THE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has directed its members across the federation to commence mobilisation for a nationwide warning strike slated to commence on March 18.
Among other reasons, the warning strike is to protest the refusal of the Federal Government to pay withheld salaries of SSANU members.
This was contained in a communiqué signed by SSANU’s national president, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, after its 47th Regular National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Akure, Ondo State.
The communiqué read, “The National Executive Council (NEC)-in-session seriously frowns on the latest action of government which excluded SSANU and other non-teaching university-based unions from the payment of the four months withheld salaries arising from the nationwide strike embarked upon by all unions in our public universities.
“While SSANU is not averse to the payment of the withheld salary to our sister union, ASUU, it however, views this action as a clear violation and breach of the post-strike agreement with government on non-victimisation of our members who participated in the strike.
“We strongly oppose this discriminatory practice which we view as government’s open invitation to industrial crisis. Credible information available to us has it that the directive of Mr President is for all university-based unions to be paid four months’ salary.
“NEC, therefore, suspects saboteurs in this government bent on destabilising and destroying the good intent of Mr President towards sustaining industrial peace in the university system.
“NEC-in-session, therefore, calls on the relevant authorities of government to immediately implement the directive of Mr President by paying our members the four months withheld salaries, failing which NEC has approved a one-week warning strike in conjunction with our sister union in JAC, NASU.”
On implementation of the 25 percent and 35 percent salary increase, the union said, “NEC recalls that government had, in 2023, awarded a wage increase of 25 percent and 35 percent to our members for which a corresponding salary structure has even been circulated via a letter from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission in September last year.
“It is, however, sad to note that over six months after, this wage award has not been implemented in the monthly salaries of our members even though the sum of N100 billion was provided in the budget for that purpose.
“NEC-in-session, therefore, demands the implementation of the 25 percent and 35 percent wage award by factoring it into the monthly salaries of our members and payment of the arrears arising therefrom, as the value of that increase has already been eroded and any further delay will drastically reduce the purchasing power and value of the money. We demand this implementation before renegotiation of the new national minimum wage for which government has already set up a committee.”
“NEC also demands that government expedite action on the renegotiation of the new national minimum wage as the current national minimum wage has completely been made useless by the hyperinflation currently ravaging the country.”
Other issues contained in the communiqué relates to ee-negotiation of the 2009 FG/SSANU agreement, payment of earned allowances, payment of minimum wage arrears owed to 26 universities’ workers, collapsing national security, battered economy, increased funding for universities and reconstitution of governing councils.
