If the federal government does not pay the two unions in tertiary institutions their four months’ worth of delayed salary within the next two weeks, they claim they would be unable to ensure industrial harmony.
The two unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
The unions expressed their stance under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) in a letter sent on Thursday in Abuja to Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education.
Both SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi signed the letter, which was headed “Re-Four months withheld salaries: Demand for immediate payment.”
The unions reminded the recipient of the letter that the JAC of SSANU and NASU had initiated a one-week warning strike from March 18 to 24.
This is a protest against the denial of the four months’ worth of salary arrears that were withheld between May 24 and August 24, 2022. We write to remind the Honourable Minister of our multiple letters, engagements, and assurances about the payment of the four (4) months withheld salary of SSANU and NASU. This comes after a series of letters and the assurances of the payment.
We would want to apologize and be shocked that our members have not yet received their withheld salaries. We see it as a betrayal of the government’s sincerity and disregard for the desires and goals of our people,” the statement read.
The administration, according to the unions, has undermined the spirit of collective bargaining and fostered mistrust.
They continued by saying that their members in the universities and inter-university centers were very agitated and contentious due to the government’s deafening silence and failure to pay the withheld salaries.
We can no longer ensure industrial peace and harmony on college campuses because of this.
“We, therefore, demand that our members receive their four months’ worth of withheld salaries immediately, and we demand that they do so no later than two weeks from the date of this correspondence; if this is not done, we will be forced to close our universities and inter-university centers.”
