The joint action committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government, threatening to embark on an indefinite strike.
The unions are demanding the payment of withheld salaries, 25/35 per cent salary increments, and a fair distribution of the N50 billion earned allowances.
In a letter dated September 12 and addressed to the minister of education, NASU and SSANU stated that they were compelled to issue the strike notice due to the government’s failure to address their grievances despite several reminders.
The letter, signed by Mohammed Ibrahim and Prince Peters Adeyemi, presidents of SSANU and NASU respectively, detailed the unresolved issues.
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The grievances cited include what they described as an unjust disbursement of earned allowances.
The unions claim their members were shortchanged in the distribution of the N50 billion earned allowances, while members in inter-university centres were completely excluded.
The unions said a tripartite committee was reportedly agreed upon in July to resolve this, but nothing has been done.
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NASU and SSANU are demanding the payment of two months’ worth of withheld salaries and arrears from the 25/35 per cent salary increment.
The unions claim the minister promised to expedite action on this in July but has yet to follow through.
The unions said the government has stalled on renegotiating the 2009 FGN-NASU/SSANU agreements.
They noted that a renegotiation committee was inaugurated in October 2024 but has not met with the non-teaching unions since December 2024.
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They pointed out that a similar renegotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been concluded.
The unions said if their demands are not met by September 15, they will proceed with a strike.
Their threat of strike is coming just as ASUU has been at loggerheads with the federal government over similar unmet demands.
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