The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and Non-Academic Staff of Educational and Associated Institutions will on February 9, 2023, hold a meeting to decide on what it called the government’s non-responsiveness to its demands.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Sunday, SSANU President, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, lamented that following JAC’s strike last year, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with government representatives on about eight issues, saying to date, none of those issues had been actualised.
Similarly, the President, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, told our correspondent that all the issues for which the union embarked on an eight months strike in 2022 had not been resolved by the government.
Osodeke, who also said ASUU National Executive Council would meet soon revealed that “All the issues for which we went on strike have not been addressed but they are using the salary arrears to deviate from the main issue.
“Salary increment, Earned Academic Allowance of over four years has not been paid. We have given the Nigerian government opportunity to do the needful but nothing has been done. If we meet, we will decide what to do.”
Mohammed said after the February 9 meeting, JAC would direct each union on what to do.
He said, “The JAC shall meet on February 9 in Abuja to review the whole situation to know exactly where we are. JAC will now direct each union on what to do.
“Our four months’ salaries between May and August 2023 were withheld; the MoU signed has not seen the light of the day. Renegotiation of Earned Allowances was not concluded.”
SSANU vice president, Abdussobor Salaam, said the union’s expectation in 2023 was for the government to prevent another round of industrial actions from the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU.
“Following our strike last year, a Memorandum of Understanding was reached with government representatives on about eight issues. To date, none of those issues has been actualised even though there was a two-month time-line for implementation. “To further compound matters, using its overreaching powers, the government stopped the salaries of our members for four months despite its culpability for allowing the strike to proceed because of its non-implementation of previous Collective Bargaining Agreements.”
