By The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has announced plans to initiate an indefinite strike beginning Sunday night.
In a statement obtained by AfrikTimes on Sunday, SSANU National President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Prince Peters Adeyemi confirmed the move, citing the expiration of an ultimatum given to the Federal Government regarding withheld salaries, set to expire at midnight on Sunday.
The unions’ key demands include payment of four months of withheld salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances, and full implementation of agreements reached in 2009. The government previously enacted a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy through the Ministry of Labour and Employment during a prolonged 2022 strike by university unions.
The Joint Action Committee’s latest communication, dated October 21, 2024, referenced these outstanding issues and provided a seven-day deadline for the government to address the unions’ concerns regarding withheld salaries and the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding.
The unions, frustrated by a lack of progress despite previous protests and multiple ultimatums, instructed all members to hold a joint congress on Monday, October 28, and subsequently proceed with the indefinite strike. They emphasized that strict compliance with the directive is required from NASU and SSANU branches across all federal and state universities and inter-university centers, with provisions allowing state-owned universities to incorporate local demands into the action as needed.
This latest move reflects mounting tension as union members express dissatisfaction with the government’s response, noting numerous missed deadlines and assurances without action.
