Unpaid salary: Anxiety grows as SSANU, NASU members begin seven-day nationwide strike today
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Bu Sodiq Adelakun
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have instructed their members across the country to initiate a seven-day strike beginning today, Monday, March 18.
In a memo circulated on Friday, the unions confirmed the implementation of the previously issued threat and ultimatum to the Nigerian government concerning the unpaid withheld salaries of their members.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of both SSANU and NASU, jointly chaired by Mohammed Ibrahim, the National President of SSANU, and Peters Adeyemi, the General Secretary of NASU, released the memo urging branch leaders to ensure full compliance with the directive.
The strike action comes as a response to the government’s failure to address the issue of unpaid salaries, which has been a source of contention between the unions and the authorities. Members of both SSANU and NASU are determined to press for their rights and demand timely payment of their dues.
The nationwide strike initiated is poised to disrupt operations in educational institutions and related sectors throughout the country, underscoring the pressing need to address the ongoing salary dispute between the unions and the Nigerian government.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) attributed the escalation of the issue to the Nigerian government’s inaction, criticising its decision to prioritise the payment of withheld salaries for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting SSANU and NASU members.
In the memo released by the JAC, it was emphasised that the seven-day warning strike should be comprehensive and unwavering, with no concessions granted under any circumstances. The directive underscores the necessity for strict compliance and adherence from all NASU and SSANU branches in universities and inter-university centers nationwide.
