Government must end perpetual strike in public universities
Industrial actions in Nigeria’s public institutions have been one major subject of concern. The issues informing such actions are known to be long concerns left partially or not entirely addressed. Cries by University unions over failure on the part of the government to honour agreements have been inundating with recurring recourse to strike actions.
Recently again, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) embarked on a 7-day warning strike. The unions were aggrieved over salaries withheld by the Government.
Although the unions directed their members to resume duty immediately on Monday, 25th March, after seven days of the actions, they said the struggle is still on. The leadership of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) also directed its members to resume duty last Monday, while giving the Federal Government two weeks to pay the withheld salaries.
Seeking to intervene, the House of Representatives Committees on Education have invited the three University based non-teaching staff unions and the Minister of Education to a meeting to address the outstanding issues.
NASU and SSANU through JAC declared a seven-day warning strike which started on Monday, March 18 and ended on Sunday night, 24th March, 2024, over their exclusion in the payment of the four months withheld salaries as directed by President Bola Tinubu, while NAAT also declared a three-day warning strike which started on Wednesday.
Academic and administrative activities were paralyzed last week as a result of the strike and examinations in some of the universities were affected. Besides, university clinics were shutdown, while water supply in the universities was also cut, a development that led to students going outside their hostels and university environment in search of water.
In a later development, the JAC of SSANU and NASU in a circular to all branch chairmen dated March 24, directed members in the universities and Inter-University centers to resume duty on Monday 25th.
The circular titled: “Re: 7-Days Warning Strike,” and signed by Prince Peters Adeyemi, NASU General Secretary and Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, SSANU President indicated the directive to return to work was only a suspension of the strike, as the struggles continue.
The circular read in part: “The leadership of National Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) acknowledge and commend the courage, tenacity. commitment and resoluteness of members of the two Unions in effectively prosecuting the 7-day warning strike action across the branches.
“After evaluating the 7-day warning strike that commenced on Monday, 18th March, 2024, the JAC confirmed that the tempo of the warning strike has been massive, comprehensive and total in most of our Universities and Inter-University Centres.
“It therefore salutes the dedication, resoluteness and loyalty of members to the cause of the Union’s struggle for the payment of 4 months’ withheld salaries. We are proud of your concerted efforts.
“Consequently, you are hereby informed that the 7-day warning strike shall end at midnight of Sunday, 24th March, 2024 and normal work will resume on Monday, 25th March, 2024.
“While assuring you that the struggle for the payment of the 4 months’ withheld salaries is ongoing, further issues such as Renegotiation of Year 2009 FGN/NASU and SSANU Agreements, Payment of N50 Billion Earned Allowances and others will continue to receive the same attention.
“Therefore, JAC leadership will continue meaningful engagement with the relevant government agencies in both executive and legislative arms and you will be duly notified of the next line of action(s) to be taken. Finally, we appreciate your unflinching support and unalloyed cooperation in this regard.”
It has become a subject of concern that Labour issues in the country have remained unresolved over time. Particularly for public institutions of learning in the Country, the subject has been a long seated challenge which has left academic calender and programmes subjected to inconsistencies.
Such distractions do not speak well for an enviable system of education. It speaks more of deficiencies and draw backs than a forward looking system. It behooves the government to rise to the demand to address the issues of dissatisfactions which have formed the ground for perpetual industrial actions by Stakeholders of public universities and other higher institutions of learning in the Country.
