NASU, SSANU extend strike by two months

 

Damilola Ajibola

The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions  (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), have extended its ongoing strike by another two months.

This was contained in a letter dated 21st of June and signed by the National President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim and General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi, obtained by News Contact Online, on Wednesday.

JAC noted that the negotiation between the federal government is ongoing at a slow pace.

The Committee appreciated the resilience of members of NASU and SSANU in the struggle, vis a vis the denials of monthly wages, threats and harassment.

It noted that the success recorded over the payment of the Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment arrears, which all staff in the University system benefitted, was only made possible by the resilience of our members.

The letter reads in part: “We refer to the above titled Circular dated 23rd May 2022, which was sequel to an earlier Circular dated 21st April 2022 on the same subject.

“We wish to thank all members of NASU and SSANU for their sustained compliance with the National directive on the ongoing strike action. The compliance of members, even in the face of the denials of our salaries, threats and harassments, has continued to give the national leadership the needed strength and focus to forge ahead on our demands.

“The success recorded by the JAC of NASU and SSANU over the payment of the Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment arrears, which all staff in the University system benefitted, was only made possible by the resilience of our members. We note however, that we still have a few members across the Branches and from the Federal Universities of Agriculture who are yet to be paid. JAC is not resting on its oars and shall ensure these omissions are resolved.

“We have continued to follow up on the resolution reached with the Government at the Tripartite Plus meeting held on Thursday, 12th May 2022 with respect to the testing of our University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System (U3PS) software with the Nigerian Technology Development Agency (NITDA). The three payment solutions- U3PS, UTAS and IPPIS, are currently being subjected to daily tests which have spanned three weeks so far and are still ongoing. While there has not been any final report, we are proud to inform you that our presentations have been very brilliant and impressive. We wish to also assure our members that the U3PS has been conceived to cater for ALL salary tables and allowances operational in the University system and there is no reason to fear exclusion by any group within the system.

“The negotiations with the Government team is ongoing even though at an exceedingly slow pace.

“While we have also recorded success in the restoration of Responsibility Allowance to deserving members and the correction of the payment of Hazard Allowance from N180,000 to N360,000 per annum in the SSANU document, there has been no commitment of Government to pay the arrears of Earned Allowances being owed our members.

“In view of the fact that Government is still a long way from effectively resolving the issues in contention, it is only expedient that we allow the process to be fully concluded before directing the end of the strike.

” Consequently, you are hereby informed that the strike has been extended by two months, within which we are hoping that all the contentious issues would have been effectively laid to rest. 

“The two months extension is with effect from Friday, 24th June 2022.

We urge you to keep up the spirit across the Branches as we are slowly inching close to victory. 

“We also urge you to disregard various rumors and misinformation especially on social media and rely on your National leaders who are ever willing to give factual and true information on the status of the struggle.”