Varsity Workers Begin Nationwide Protest Over Withheld Salaries Tomorrow

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) directed their members to commence a nationwide protest on Tuesday.

The development followed a failed attempt by the federal government to address their grievances over the four-month withheld salaries.

On Thursday last week, SSANU and NASU met with the ministers of education, labour and employment and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to prevail on the unions not to embark on a nationwide industrial action, but the meeting ended in deadlock.

According to a circular signed by SSANU national president Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim and his NASU counterpart Peters Adeyemi in Abuja, the union leadership accused the federal government of not showing any convincing commitment to paying the withheld salaries and resolving other pending grievances of the two unions.

They found the government’s lack of commitment disappointing and decided on a series of industrial actions, which include a general meeting of their branches to sensitise members to the government’s insensitivity, followed by a one-day nationwide protest on Tuesday and a national protest in Abuja on July 18th, 2024.

The circular reads, “In view of this disappointment and failure of government to address grievances of NASU and SSANU, JAC has decided on a series of industrial actions which include the following:

“All branches of NASU and SSANU should mandatorily hold a general meeting on Monday, 8th July 2024, to sensitise members to the government’s insensitivity to our plights. A one-day protest should also be held on Tuesday, 9th July 2024, at each branch simultaneously.”

“Every branch should ensure that all members fully participate in the protest and the press/media is adequately mobilised.

“A national protest will be held in Abuja on Thursday, July 18, 2024, after which JAC will meet to announce a date when the strike action will commence.”