Administrative work in universities and inter-university Centres will be disrupted on July 18 as the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) will be holding a one-day protest over their four months withheld salaries.
Already, the Joint Action Committee of both unions have directed their state chapters to meet today in preparation for tomorrow’s protest.
This decision, according to the unions, followed the alleged failure to reach an agreement with the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
But the Minister of State for Education, Dr Tanko Sununu, said the ministry is working to address the unions’ demands.
“We are doing everything to ensure the issues are addressed,” the minister said.
A joint statement by NASU General Secretary Prince Peters Adeyemi, and SSANU National President Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, reads: “The National body of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU met on July 4 to appraise and take a position on the current situation in respect of the withheld four months’ salaries, and other grievances of our members in the university and inter-university centres.
“The National JAC, on invitation, also met with the Ministers of Education and other top officials of the Ministry and National Universities Commission (NUC). Unfortunately, the engagement has not shown any convincing commitment on the payment of the withheld salaries and resolutions of other pending grievances of JAC of the two unions.
“It is also disheartening that JAC was also at the Ministry of Labour and Employment and, as usual, the Minister of State was not available to receive us. The Permanent Secretary who stood in for her could not make any commitment on the issues raised.
“In view of this disappointment and failure of government to address our grievances, JAC has decided on a series of industrial actions which include a one-day protest on July 9 at each branch simultaneously. Every branch should ensure that all members fully participate in the protest and the media is adequately mobilised.
“A national protest will hold in Abuja on July 18, after which JAC will meet to announce a date when the strike action will begin.”