Withheld salaries: Varsities’ unions meeting with FG ends in deadlock

THE meeting convened by the federal government over the threat by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, not to embark on strike ended in deadlock weekend, Vanguard has gathered.

Consequently, the two unions, under the Joint Action Committee, JAC, have directed their members to mobilize and proceed on protest tomorrow in their branches.

Recall that the JAC, comprising SSANU and NASU, had issued a two-week ultimatum to the government to pay them the four months withheld salaries which President Bola Tinubu had approved for the four university-based unions.

The four unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, had embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022 which resulted in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari invoking the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy.

After President Tinubu granted amnesty to the university workers for payment of four months of the withheld salaries, ASUU was paid in October last year, leaving behind the other three unions, a development that has generated bad blood and tension in the university system.

The two weeks ultimatum expired on July 4 but the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, summoned a meeting with the two unions to avert the strike.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the meeting did not achieve anything as the minister only promised to take their matter to a higher authority, perhaps the President.

Angered by the development, JAC of the two unions has directed all branches to convene a meeting today to sensitise members for a one day protest tomorrow in all the branches, which would be followed by a national protest on July 18 in Abuja and, thereafter, a full blown strike.

In a circular to all branch chairmen of university and inter-university centres on the outcome of their meeting with the ministers of education, labour and employment, which was signed by the General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi, and President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, JAC said the government has not shown any convincing commitment on the payment of the four months withheld salaries.

The circular, tilted “Outcome of the meetings held with the Minister of Education and the Minister of Labour and Employment: Directive to all branches of NASU and SSANU,” advised the branches to participate fully in the scheduled protests.

It read: “The National body of the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of NASU and SSANU met on Thursday, 4th July, 2024 to appraise and take position on the current situation in respect of the withheld  four months’ salaries and other grievances of our members in university and inter-university centres.

“Similarly, the National JAC on invitation met with the minister of education; minister of state for education; permanent secretary, ministry of education; other top officials of the ministry and the National Universities Commission, NUC.

“Unfortunately, the engagement with the minister of education has not shown any convincing commitment on the payment of the withheld salaries and resolutions of other pending grievances of JAC of the two unions.

“It is also disheartening that the JAC was also at the federal ministry of labour & employment and as usual, the minister of state was not on seat to receive us, as we were informed that she had an urgent call from the villa.

“The permanent secretary who stood in for her, could not make any commitment on the issues raised.  In view of this disappointment and failure of government to address grievances of NASU and SSANU, JAC has decided on a series of industrial actions thus:  “All branches of NASU and SSANU should mandatorily hold a general meeting on Monday, July 8, 2024, to sensitize members on the insensitivity of government to our plights.

“A day protest should hold on Tuesday, July 9,2024, at each branch simultaneously. Every branch should ensure that all members fully participate in the protest.

“A national protest which will hold in Abuja on Thursday, July 18, 2024, after which JAC will meet to announce a date when the strike will commence.”