University workers begin strike on Monday
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non- Academic Staff Union(NASU) have declared a warning strike that will commence next Monday, October 5, and last 14 days across public universities nationwide.
This was just as the federal government announced the reopening of all schools including universities six months after their closure due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Addressing newsmen shortly after their joint congress held at the University of Lagos (Akoka), the chairmen of SSANU and NASU of UNILAG branch, Messrs Olusola Sowunmi and Kehinde Ajibade, respectively said the strike is general and involve all public universities in the country.
They stated the action is a directive from the national leadership of the two unions to all their branches nationwide to press home their demands on contentious issues from the federal government.
Some of their demands include non-payment of arrears of their national minimum wage for 10 months, inconsistency in the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System(IPPIS), non-payment of arrears of their earned allowance since 2012, non-showing of seriousness in renegotiating their 2009 agreement, neglect and poor funding of state universities, corruption and non-constitution of visitation panels as well as a usurpation of headship in non-academic matters by the academic staff as the contentious issues.
The union, however, warned that they would not hesitate to commence a full-blown strike should government fail to address these issues while their warning strike lasted.
