Varsity unions direct members to begin strike Friday

Leaders of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions have directed their members across the country to begin an indefinite strike on Friday (tomorrow).

They gave the directive in a notice sent to their branches on Thursday. It was signed by SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, and NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi.

Part of the notice read, “In view of the outcome of the meeting, the leadership of JAC of NASU and SSANU at the branches is hereby directed to commence joint general meetings on Friday to give reports on the outcome of the conciliation meeting and pass resolutions on the way forward.

“In the meantime, the nationwide strike takes effect from 12 midnight, Friday, February 5, 2021, pending any contrary resolution by the branches.”

The non-teaching staff had announced that they would embark on a nationwide strike from February 5, 2021 over the Federal Government’s handling of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, sharing formula of the N40 billion earned academic allowances and non-payment of arrears of the new minimum wage.

Their other grievances are the non-payment of retirement benefits to former members; non-constitution of visitation panels to universities; poor funding of universities; and teaching staff allegedly usurping the headship of non-teaching units.

The Federal Government met with the leadership of the unions on the demands but the meeting ended in a deadlock on Tuesday.

The unions said five of its demands had not been attended to by the Federal Government while committees were only set up to address them.

A committee was set up to resolve the dispute over the N40 billion earned allowances and complaints about the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

The workers had embarked on a three-day protest over the government’s failure to honour the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the unions on October 20, 2020.