SSANU, NASU commence 3-day strike

Academics activities across government-owned universities in the country may suffer as two associations of non-teaching staff have commenced 3 days strike to protest the sharing formula of the recently approved N22 billion Earned Allowances.

The striking associations include Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions, NASU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU. and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT.

The Earned Allowances was approved for four university-based associations which include NASU, SSANU, National Association of Acedemic Technologies (NAAT) and the teaching union, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

NewsWireNGR recalled that the approved Earned Allowances was stipulated to be shared 75 per cent to ASUU and the three other unions sharing the remaining 25 per cent.

A memo by NASU and SSANU under the aegis of Joint Action Committee, signed by the General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi and the National President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammad Ibrahim reads; “The National leadership of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU & SSANU held Zoom meeting on Monday, 8th November, 2021 to review the latest development in our Universities and Inter-University Centres and decided as follows:

“That all our branches should mandatorily call a general meeting of JAC of NASU and SSANU on Wednesday, 10th November, 2021 and from there, declare and commence 3-day protest from Wednesday, 10th – Friday, 12th November, 2021.

“The protest should be centered on the proposed provocative formula to be used for sharing the next tranche of N22.127b to be released by the Federal Government for the payment of Earned Allowance at the rate of 75% to Academics and 25% to
Non-Teaching Staff should also be against the refusal on the part of the Federal Government to pay the Arrears of the Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment as agreed at the last meeting of JAC with the Federal Government on 26th August, 2021 at the Office of the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment that the payment would be made to the members of NASU and SSANU before the end of October, 2021.

“The protest should be within the campuses and each branch is free to determine the activities that would be carried out on each day of the protest which essentially must take on board the following:

“Press Conference Writing and submission of protest letter to respective Vice-Chancellors for transmission to the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission Prayer Sessions, etc

“As the branch protest marks the beginning of a series of industrial actions to be undertaken by JAC, you are to await further directives after the 3-day protest as the National JAC leadership will be meeting on Monday, 15th November, 2021 and
the outcome will be communicated to members.

“Every branch must comply and adhere strictly to these directives as no excuses will be entertained.”