SSANU, NASU May Begin Strike on Monday

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Non-teaching staff of the nation’s public-owned universities may make good their threat to ground academic activities in the institutions from Monday.

This followed the alleged poor response from the federal government, to meet their demands after the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum to government.

Already various branches of the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Educational institutions, NASU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), are awaiting directives from the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the unions for the strike.
The unions had penultimate week issued a 14-day ultimatum to federal government to address the issue of Earned Allowances, sacked workers of Staff Schools or they would shut down the universities.

The two unions in a circular to all its branches after the JAC meeting penultimate Thursday, in Abuja, said that at the expiration of the 14-days ultimatum, if the federal government failed to address all their grievances, they would be left with no other option than withdrawing their services and shutting down the universities.

In the circular to all their branches with the title ‘Notice of Industrial Action’, which was signed by the Chairman of JAC and President of SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke and the General Secretary of NASU, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, the two unions lamented the non-challant attitude of the federal government towards addressing their grievances and obeying court judgment.

The circular read, “This is to inform you that the Joint Action Committee, JAC of NASU and SSANU met today, Thursday 1st August, 2019, to consider the issues which led to the Nationwide protest in our various branches, viz, Payment of Earned Allowances, University Staff Schools matter, Renegotiation of 2009 FGN/Unions Agreement among others.

“After extensive deliberations, JAC further observed that:

“No date has been rescheduled by the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Ahmed Lawan for the meeting with the leadership of JAC national.

“That a 14-day ultimatum of industrial action be given to the Federal Government of Nigeria to address the pending issues with effect from Monday, 5th August, 2019. During the period of the ultimatum, all branches are hereby directed to carry out peaceful protest on Tuesday, 6th August, 2019 and Thursday, 15th August, 2019 respectively.

The union said at the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum, Sunday 18th August 2019, and without any positive response from the Gederal Government of Nigeria, members shall proceed on a 5-day warning strike in all branches from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd August, 2019, inclusive.

“You are therefore directed to properly mobilize our members for this action. All defaulting branches shall be sanctioned accordingly,” it said.