Victoria Mgbanwa
In a move to ease the deadlock with university staff, the Federal Government’s payment of 25% of withheld salaries has led the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) to suspend their ongoing strike for a month.
The strike, initiated on October 28, 2024, by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU, stemmed from grievances over unpaid wages. University activities across the country came to a halt as workers protested government’s failure to settle four months of withheld salaries.
However On Friday, some union members received one month’s pay from the four-month arrears. The unions, further acknowledged progress following high-level talks.
In a statement on Sunday, SSANU’s National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, and NASU’s General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, announced that workers would return to their duties on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
The statement reads, “One month by the end of October 2024 (which has largely been done), then the second month to be paid by the end of November 2024.
“Arising from the above and given the level of commitment exhibited by the new minister and the leadership of the Department of State Services, the leadership of JAC, after several contacts and other patriotic considerations, hereby directs that the ongoing indefinite strike be suspended for one-month effective Tuesday, 5th November 2024.
“Branch leaders of both NASU and SSANU are hereby directed to convene a joint congress in their respective campuses on Monday, 4th November 2024 and intimate members of these developments and urge them to resume work on Tuesday, 5th November 2024.
“We have had several extensive and exhaustive deliberations with officials of the Federal Government, including the new Minister of Education, the Minister of Finance, the outgoing Minister of State for Education, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, the Accountant-General of the Federation and the leadership of the Department of State Services.
“The National leadership of the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU acknowledges and commends our members in the universities and inter-university centres for their unwavering resolve, unrelenting determination and steadfast support for the ongoing strike action.”