The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) says it will embark on seven-day warning strike over alleged discrimination in payment of four months withheld salaries.
Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, the National President of SSANU said this in a communique issued at the end of the union’s 47th Regular National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Monday in Abuja.
Ibrahim said that the four months withheld salaries arose from the nationwide strike action embarked upon by all unions in the public universities in the country.
According to him, NEC had frowned at the latest action of government which excluded SSANU and other non-teaching university based unions from the payment of the four months withheld salaries.
“We strongly oppose this discriminatory practice which we view as government’s open invitation to industrial crisis.
“Credible information available to us has it that the directive of Mr President is for all University-based unions to be paid the four months’ salary.
“NEC therefore suspects saboteurs in this government bent on destabilising and destroying the good intent of Mr President towards sustaining industrial peace in the university system.
“NEC therefore, calls on the relevant authorities of government to immediately implement the directive of Mr President by paying our members the four months withheld salaries,’’ he said.
Ibrahim said NEC had approved a one week warning strike in conjunction with sister unions in Joint Action Committe(JAC,) of Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) if the directive is not implemented.
He said NEC also called for the implementation of the 25 and 35 per cent wage award, by factoring it into the monthly salaries of its members and payment of the arrears arising therefrom.
“We demand this implementation before renegotiation of the new national minimum wage for which government had already set up a committee.
“NEC also calls on government to as a matter of urgency reconstitute a new committee for the renegotiation of the SSANU/FGN 2009 Agreement as the issue is long overdue.
“We are aware that the sum of N50 billion was appropriated in the 2023 budget for this purpose.
”NEC, therefore calls on government to as a matter of urgency release the already appropriated funds for payment of Earned Allowances to our members to avert any industrial disharmony in the University system,’’ he said.
The SSANU president said that NEC had observed that 26 of its members were yet to be paid arrears of the National Minimum Wage which was approved in 2018 despite the efforts of the union.
“NEC also strongly urged the government to immediately stem this odious tide by adequately funding the security agencies to enable the procurement of modern equipment to tackle issues of insurgencies.
“NEC in session observes with grave concern the sliding economy that is hardly witnessing any steady growth.
“It. therefore, calls on government to urgently arrest this terrible and unbearable situation by introducing sound economic policies aimed at revamping this critically dysfunctional economy before it degenerates to an irredeemable level,’’ he said.
Ibrahim added that NEC in session noted with apprehension the systemic deterioration of the University system occasioned by the Government deliberate serial neglect.
He, therefore said that government should increase funding of universities for effective service delivery.
He said that SSANU frowned at the delay by government in appointing Governing Councils of Federal and State Universities.
“NEC in session therefore calls on Government to urgently reconstitute dissolved Governing Councils of Federal and some state Universities to engender smooth administration of universities,’’ he said. (NAN)