SSANU Threatens Indefinite Strike over Unpaid Withheld Salaries

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has threatened to go on an indefinite strike action if the federal government fails to offset the payment of witheld salaries of its members after its one-week warning strike was called off.

Vice President, SSANU Western Zone, Abdulsobur Salaam, disclosed this yesterday, during  the plenary session preceding the 73rd Regular /Statutory meeting of Zonal Executive Council of Western Zone held at the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Kwara state.

The meeting comprised executives from 25 universities in Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Kwara.

He said the federal government had failed to adhere to the agreement it entered into with the union about not taking any punitive measures about the strike the union embarked upon in 2022.

Salaam stated that it was unfortunate that the four months salaries that were withheld then have not been paid in spite of several calls and warning to the government.

The union had on March 19, 2024, embarked on a one-week warning strike following the inability of the Federal Government to pay the withheld salaries of non-academic staff in public universities in the country.

The salaries were seized during their strike in 2022, under the administration of former president Muhammadu Buhari.

The vice president said the government’s lack of concern to workers’ welfare was a high level of apathy which may force the union to resort to the last option of reconciliation which is strike.

”During the warning strike, it was as if heavens were going to fall, but immediately after it was called off, they have retreated and there has been no response so far, from the government.

”What we have witnessed is high level of apathy and unconcern with respect to the issues because the strike has been concluded.

”We shall be recalibrating and engaging ourselves in various meetings at our various levels in the union.

”But, without preempting, it is only natural that where there is discontent and dissatisfaction with the state of affairs particularly regarding the welfare of our members, going on total and comprehensive strike will not be out of place,” Salaam said.

He added that it was not the union that was always eager to down tools, but saying it was the only language the government understood when it comes to workers’ welfare.

”We do not want this matter to degenerate into us having to go into full blown strike, because with strike, we are all casualties including workers because no one wants to sit at home idle.

”So, we are not eager to do that and that is why we have continued to use every instrument at our disposal to continue to call on Nigerians to plead with the federal government to do the needful in respect to our issues.

”But if that fails, we shall be left with no other option than to do that.

”The idea behind no work no pay is to dehumanise us and make us unable to speak when issues arise and we have defied it by going on a one week warning strike and we can defer it further,” he said.

Chairman SSANU KWASU branch, Abdulsalam Kannike, said the meeting was an avenue to critically review the union’s activities and challenges and commended KWASU management for prioritising workers’ welfare.