Why we are not suspending strike now, say SSANU, NASU

*The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) says they are suspending their ongoing industrial action Monday

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Contrary to speculation in certain quarters, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have said they will not suspend their ongoing strike Monday, February 15, 2021.

SSANU and NASU under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) started a strike recently, after a three-day protest to press home their demands from the government. They have advocated the abolition of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), payment of dues of retired members, better funding of the university system, and stoppage of the usurpation of non-teaching staff headship of some agencies by teaching staff among others.

Mohammed Ibrahim, National President of SSANU, however, said those saying both staff unions had agreed to call off the industrial action were not saying what truly transpired at the weekend’s meeting the unions held with the Nigerian Government team, reports Vanguard.

Ibrahim stated: “Even though those speculating that used the words ‘likely to call off the strike’, but that is still not the true position of things. We did not make such a promise.” According to him, what happened at the meeting was that the government team made some offers to us and as representatives of our people, our duty is to take the offers to our people.

He stated: “Those speculating that are just trying to do their jobs to please those who sent them. Their job is to prevent strike from taking place, but now we have a full blown strike on hand.

“After our meeting, there was no way we would have reported the outcome of the meeting and the offers to our members, as the weekend had set in and now to think we would likely call off the strike on Monday is not feasible.

Ibrahim further explained: “What is going to happen is that on Wednesday, we are going to meet with our people and get their opinions about the offers made.

“They are the ones who gave us the mandate for all we are doing and they are the ones to determine the next line of action.”

ConsumerConnect reports that the two unions have embarked on strike over the sharing formula for their Earned Allowance from the Federal Government.

The development has created animosity between them and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the country.

From the Federal Government’s N40 billion earmarked for the payment of the allowance for university workers, ASUU is reportedly taking about 75 percent of the fund, leaving both SSANU and NASU to share the remaining money.

In the meantime, Dr. Chris Ngige, Honourable Minister for Labour and Employment, at the weekend said the striking non-teaching staff of the Nigerian universities would ‘likely’ suspend the industrial action Monday, following a meeting he had with them.