The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have commenced a nationwide strike today in protest against what they claim are unfair treatment and salary disparities by Nigeria’s federal government.
The strike action is expected to ground all university activities across the Nigerian federation.
Before this action, the unions had issued a warning of closing down university hostels and power supply if their grievances were not addressed by today, March 18, 2024.
Muhammed Ibrahim, the National President of SSANU, said they were aggrieved because their union members, including Vice Chancellors, registrars, and bursars, have not received their arrears dating back to 2022.
Ibrahim told a television house this morning that he could confirm the strike had started., “Definitely, it (the strike) has already started”.
“As of today (Monday), all our workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students’ affairs have withdrawn their services and nothing moves within the administration of any public university in Nigeria and that will be the case for the next seven days until and unless the needful is done,” he stated.
But strangely, the government through the Minister for Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, feigned ignorance of the strike by SSANU/NASU. He said the government was unaware of any notice of strike by the unions, but this was contradicted by Ibrahim.
Ibrahim said his union was disappointed that the government had not engaged with the unions directly despite issuing a seven-day notice the previous Monday. He said the current Minister of Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, did not even bother to make contact with the aggrieved unions, contrary to the practice in the past with the likes of the former Labour Minister, Chris Ngige.
Asked how what is next for the union if the government fails to heed their demands when the seven-day warning strike ends, he assured that they would go back to their toolbox and decide on their next line of action.
ASUU Backs The Strikers
The union of lecturers – the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have thrown their weight behind the SSANU and NASU strike actions, saying every union had a right to negotiate separately for their specific interests within the tertiary education space.
National President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, in an interview said, “You bargain on a separate note and based on your conviction about what you are fighting for and that is what is ideal in unionism.
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