Education: NASU, SSANU extend strike by one month

The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and allied institutions have extended their ongoing strike by one month.

In a circular jointly signed by the national president of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim, and the general secretary, Peters Adeyemi, the unions noted that the decision to extend the strike was to give more time for all demands to be met.

SSANU and NASU like the Academic Staff Union of Universities had declared a strike following the failure of the government to meet some of the lingering demands of the associations.

Though the federal government through the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, had announced that the government would clear the outstanding minimum wage arrears, the unions had insisted on strike.

“In view of the fact that most of the issues in contention have not been resolved as the process of resolving same is ongoing and to allow the process to be concluded, we hereby direct that the ongoing strike be elongated by one month.

“Hopefully, all processes would have been concluded and all issues in dispute favorably resolved,” the unions noted in the statement.

Some of the demands of the unions include the inconsistent issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system, unpaid earned allowances, and delay in the renegotiation of FGN, NASU, SSANU agreements, and nonpayment of minimum wage arrears.

Others include neglect and poor funding of state universities, non-payment of retirement benefits to outgoing members of the unions, and usurpation of the headship of non-teaching units in clear violation of conditions of service and establishment procedures, among others.