NLC Cautions against Another Prolonged Strike in Varsities

•Urges FG to pay withheld salaries to varsity staff 

•SSANU, NASU industrial action disrupt academic activities, unions block University of Abuja entrance gate 

•NAAT begins 3-day warning strike tomorrow 

•Minister appeals to unions to call off action

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the federal government to take appropriate measures to avoid another industrial unrest the nation’s tertiary institutions.

While reacting to the declaration of one week warming strike by its two affiliate unions – the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational (NASU) and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the NLC said there was no reason for the issue to degenerate into an industrial dispute.

However, the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has appealed to the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) to call off their 7-day warning strike, which started yesterday.

This was just as SSANU and NASU yesterday made good their threat to shutdown federal government owned universities nationwide.

Equally, yesterday, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) issued notice of a three-day warning strike from tomorrow, over the non-payment of the four months withheld salaries of its members as directed by President Bola Tinubu.

THISDAY findings showed that academic activities in University of Abuja was temporarily halted yesterday, as the protesting Joint Action Committee, (JAC), made up of the two unions blocked all entrances to the university gates.

The protesting workers prevented both academic and non-academic staff from driving in through the university main gates which was placed under lock and key.

As a result of the strike, some scheduled examinations at the University of Abuja were shifted

However, in statement signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, the labour centre urged the federal government to immediately pay the outstanding four months withheld salaries to the non-teaching staff of the universities to avoid disruption of studies.

 “We join our affiliate unions, NASU and SSANU in demanding for the immediate payment of the withheld salaries of their members.

“There has been no credible reason or explanation for withholding those salaries in the first place.

We recall this singular act plunged the members into indescribable hardship.

“Much worse, it defies logic to try to subject members of these unions to discriminatory treatment. By so doing government is clearly courting avoidable industrial dispute,” it said.

Furthermore, the NLC said at a time confidence was being restored to the public universities, the least government could do was not to engineer another strike.

It said the toll on all the parties would be unacceptably high, especially for students and parents who bear the burden of movement on the country’s dangerous roads.

“In light of this, we urge government to expeditiously pay up the outstanding. We advise government to not take for granted the maturity of these unions,” it said.

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists, the University of Abuja branch chairman of SSANU, Nureden Yusuf, said the protest by the unions was to draw the attention of the federal government over the injustice done to members of SSANU and NASU in the payment of the four months withheld salaries which President Bola Tinubu approved in October last year.

He said, “We are on strike basically to draw the attention of government to the state of our universities. You may recall that one of the contentious issues why we went on strike in 2022 was the issue of the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

“That agreement ought to have been renegotiated every three years and now we are 2024. Fourteen years after the last agreement, it is yet to be renegotiated.

“Also, we are talking about withheld salaries. Mr. President in October 2023 gracefully agreed that our withheld salaries during the period of strike in 2022 should be paid to us. Our counterparts in ASUU have been paid their four months salaries, we are yet to receive our salaries.

“NASU and SSANU are unions of professionals. We oil the wheel of the university system. If we’re not in university, there can’t be any University. Apart from teaching, any other activity that is done in the university is done by SSANU and NASU members. We provide health services to university.

“We are shutting down universities for seven days, none of our members is going to render any services. There won’t be people to man the security unit, there won’t be people in the university health services, there won’t be water, there won’t be electricity, there will also not going to be processing of transcripts or certificates. The transport unit will also be shut down.”

Also speaking, the Chairperson of NASU, University of Abuja, branch, Comrade Sadiya Hassan blamed the government for pushing the two unions to embark on the warning strike.

She also frowned at people calling the union members supporting staff, saying they are professionals in different fields that chose to be in the non-teaching sector.

Hassan, said apart from the withheld salaries the two unions have other demands like the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

Besides, she said, “We want the reconstitution of our governing councils because that has affected our members’ promotion and other issues pending since they were dissolved. Nothing is going on in the university as it ought to be.

“So we want the governing councils to come back so that things can move in the universities.

“And as we are being referred to as supporting staff, we are not supporting staff, we chose to be in the offices not in the classrooms, and that is why we are professionals in our field and we should be treated as one not as second fiddle in the system.

“So, we want the federal government to do the needful. We don’t want to go on strike, but we are being forced to do what we are doing today. So they should give us what is our rights and we will go back to our offices and render our services as we are used to do.”

Also, JAC of NASU and SSANU at the University of Ilorin, yesterday, joined their counterparts in other universities in the country on the 7-day warning strike.

As early as 7. 00a.m, members of the two unions gathered at the main gate of the university at Tanke, Ilorin to mobilise the members of the union for the strike.

The development however led to little traffic grid lock at the entrance gate of the university.

Most of the students who were going to school to write their examinations pleaded with the government to do the needful as they expressed displeasure over the traffic grid lock as they have examination to write.

Speaking with newsmen in Ilorin, the National Financial Secretary of  SSANU, Akanbi Mohammad Jiman, said: “You remember that last Tuesday we had our congress we told our members that the seven days ultimatum had been given to the Federal government on the issue of paying four months arrears of salaries going  the directive of National body of SSANU and  NASU.

“As at today, the government is yet to pay the withheld salaries and that is why we have called the congress to inform our members that the strike have commenced today and until Monday morning that is one week warning strike, after that period if nothing is forth coming, leadership of our union will have no option than to call another meeting and take decisive action.”

For his part, the Chairman, SSANU, Unilorin Branch, Falowo Olushola Naheem said: “After all deliberation, consultations and also consolidations by the national executive council of SSANU and NASU under the umbrella body of JAC  of SSANU and NASU we were instructed to give the government ultimatum of seven days.

“The seven days expire today because they were put on notice that in case we did not see the alert of our withheld four months salary we don’t have any other choice than to embark on seven days warning strike and the seven days warning strike start today and counting up till midnight of Sunday.”

Also speaking, NASU Chairman, University of Ilorin chapter, Mr. Bello Haruna Ibrahim, said: “Nobody is going to work and that was why all of us are here, we directed them that all of them should go back home and stay at home until the government come to our yearnings.

“The major implication is that we are going to tell the management to shift the exam by one week.”

NAAT Begins 3-days Warning Strike Tomorrow

Meanwhile, NAAT has disclosed that it would begin a three-day warning strike from tomorrow, over the non-payment of the four months withheld salaries as directed by President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement declaring the three days warning strike, signed by its President, Ibeji Nwokoma, NAAT explained that the decision to embark on the warning strike was sanctioned at the union’s National Executive Council, NEC, emergency virtual meeting.

The statement read: “We are constrained to notify you of the decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC) of NAAT at the end of its emergency virtual meeting held on Wednesday 13th March, 2024, it was resolved that a 3-day warning strike and a nationwide protest on the first day commencing from Wednesday 20th to Friday 22nd March, 2024 be embarked upon.

“This is to enable the union to press home its demand for the payment of withheld salaries of members of NAAT as approved by the Presidency.

“This became necessary due to the unfortunate circumstances leading to the payment of four months withheld salaries of members of a sister union and the exclusion of members of NAAT.

“The Minister may wish to note that, in spite of his pronouncement and assurances at the high-level stakeholders meeting held at the Idris Abdulkadir Auditorium, NUC Secretariat on Thursday 11th January, 2024 that the payment of the withheld salaries will be across board and the unions letter of appeal for equity, fairness and justice dated 16th February, 2024 for which the office of the Minister did not deem it necessary to either respond or acknowledge and till date the Government has failed to fulfil its promises.” Nwokoma said

He therefore, called on the federal government to do the needful or be held responsible for any disruption of academic activities in our universities as we embark on this action.

Minister appeals to unions to call off action

Meanwhile, the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has appealed to the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) to call off their 7-day warning strike, which started yesterday.

Onyejeocha also expressed displeasure at the action of the unions, which she described as a total disregard of Federal Government’s concerted effort to address the concern of the unions.

In a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations at the Ministry, Olajide Oshundun, the Minister said the Ministry was not officially notified by the unions of their intention to proceed on a 7-day warning strike.

She added that this was contrary to the provisions of section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act.

However, the Minister said that when the Ministry got wind of the intended warning strike, it reached out to the leadership of the unions for an emergency meeting in order to avert the strike.

“Unfortunately, a physical meeting could not be arranged between the unions and the federal government, but a tele-discussion took place between their leadership and the Ministry.

“Consequently, the Ministry suggested another date, Monday 18th March, for a proper conciliation meeting, believing that on the basis of that discussion, the  intended strike would be put on hold pending the outcome of the meeting; but this date was rejected by the unions,” she said.

The statement said that Onyejeocha has always maintained that strike does not serve any useful purpose and should only be resorted to as a last option after exhausting every conciliation effort.

She appealed to the SSANU and NASU to step back from their hardline stance and meet the federal government at the table for conciliation.

The Minister also appealed to all Nigerians to always take steps that are beneficial to the well-being of the country and the citizens.