The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has announced a one-month suspension of its nationwide strike following partial payment of withheld salaries.
On Friday, union members confirmed they received a month’s salary, representing 25% of the total four months’ pay that had been withheld by the Federal Government. This partial payment came after weeks of stalled academic and administrative activities across Nigerian universities due to the strike that began on October 28, 2024.
Abdussobur Salaam, Vice-President of SSANU, expressed mixed feelings about the payment. “The government still owes us three more months,” he said. “What they have released is just a fraction of what we are entitled to.”
In a statement jointly signed by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, the unions directed members to return to work starting Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The statement revealed that negotiations with government officials, including the Minister of Education and the Department of State Services (DSS), led to a commitment that the second month of withheld salaries would be paid by the end of November.
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The unions’ statement read: “In recognition of the government’s engagement and the positive steps taken, JAC has decided to suspend the ongoing strike for one month, effective from Tuesday, 5th November 2024. Branch leaders across campuses are instructed to convene meetings on Monday, 4th November, to update members on these developments and prepare for resumption.”
The strike had severely disrupted university operations, highlighting long-standing issues between academic unions and the government over unpaid salaries and allowances. The statement from JAC commended union members for their resilience and patience throughout the period of industrial action.
It further emphasized that negotiations regarding the remaining two months of salaries and the payment of N50 billion in earned allowances would continue. The unions assured their members that further actions would be taken if commitments were not met.