By Jeleel Olawale
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational &Associated Institutions (NASU), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) chapter,have joined their counterparts nationwide to stage a-day protest over delay in 2009 negotiation.
The SSANU Chairman, Engr. Ademola Junaid stated this during an interview with newsmen, on Thursday, at OAU campus, in Ile-Ife.
The protesters marches on campus with display of placards conveying :”We worked, You withheld, release our wages”; “Enough is Enough, pay our two months salaries”; No more empty promises, Action now” among others.
He said that struggle of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU between 2021 and 2022 led to signing agreement between the JAC and Federal Government in Aug. 20, 2022.
The SSANU Chairman lamented on the suffering of the members, saying that
Federal Government has not been sincere about the plight of SSANU/NASU in the sector.
Junaid maintained that the contentious issues are the alleged disbursement of N50 billion earned allowances; delay in renegotiation of the 2009 FGN and NASU/SSANU agreements among others.
Also, the SSANU Vice-Chairman, Mrs Stella Adebiyi, condemned Federal Government playing pranks on them by promising them and failed on all their demands since 2009 till date despite all ultimatum given.
Adebiyi said that protest is only avenue to show their grievances, for that’s the only language that government understand, groaned of tiredness of their conditions.
She explained that Federal Government has failed to pay their two months salaries; non-payment of arrears of 25 and 35% salaries arrears.
According to her, majority of their members have retired and unable to get their third party deductions of the two months salaries which is unfair.
The SSANU Vice-Chairman appealed to the Federal Government to harken to their voices and stop sabotaging their efforts by paying their promotion arrears for them to live a meaningful lives.
In the same vein, Mr Dayo Oyediwura, the Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), recalled that Federal Government signed a non-victimisation clause with them in 2022 after paying two months salary out of four.
Oyediwura said that Federal Government promised not to victimised anyone participated in the strike then, but non-payment of their salaries is victimisation which means that Federal Government has violated his pledge.
He explained that two months paid third party deductions was not included meaning that the two months salary paid to them was nothing to them.
Oyediwura appealed to the Federal Government to pay their third party deductions of the two months salaries and pay their promotion arrears since 2015/209 till date as well.
According to him, the disbursement of N50 billion was unjust, for the money was paid to one union and FG promised to pay SSANU and NASU, but nothing till date.
“Treatment of non teaching staff should come with dignity, for dignity of labour should be embraced, for they are not Slaves.
“The conditions of service of University workers are worst, hit financially, economically and psychologically”. He lamented.