SSANU, NASU’s strike enters second day, FG kicks

As the seven-day warning strike by members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) enters its second day on Tuesday, grounding activities at the nation’s public ivory towers, the Federal Government has criticised the action of the non-academic staff, saying that the withdrawal of their services is contrary to the provisions of section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act.

The two unions began a seven-day warning strike on Monday over withheld salaries with workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students’ affairs withdrawing their services.

According to Channels news, nothing moved administratively within any public university in Nigeria as hostels and varsity gates were locked up and electricity supply cut off. Both SSANU and NASU are protesting withheld salaries by the Federal Government. The two unions berated the Federal Government for paying withheld salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities  (ASUU) while neglecting the non-academic unions.

All the unions had embarked on an eight-month strike in 2022 to press home some of their demands including a better welfare package. The administration of then President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against the unions but President Bola Tinubu last October approved the release of four of the eight months withheld salaries.

However, SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, accused the Federal Government of unfair treatement and discrimination against non-academic unions by failing to pay them like their academic counterparts.