The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU) has directed members nationwide to embark on a two-week warning strike from today, March 28, 2022.
It is joining the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over unresolved issues with the Federal Government to cripple both academic and administrative activities in the nation’s public universities.
This is, as the unions announced plans to present their preferred mode of payment – the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System (U3PS), which they said, would address the challenges in the remuneration system.
Recall that ASUU had, on February 14, commenced a four-week warning strike due to alleged inability of the government to address their demands.
At the end of the four weeks, the strike was extended for another eight weeks, while the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) commenced its own two-week industrial last week.
Arising from their meeting in Abuja, JAC, in a memo addressed to the leadership of the unions’ branches across the federation, directed them to ensure total compliance.
The correspondence, signed by SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, reads: “In view of the nonchalant attitude of the government to our demands, this is to direct our members in all universities and inter-university centres throughout the country to commence a two-week strike in the first instance as earlier conveyed to the Federal Government in our letter.
“Please note that the two-week warning strike should be comprehensive and total as no concession should be given under any guise. Your strict compliance and adherence to this directive are mandatory for all branches of NASU and SSANU in the universities and inter-university centres.”
JAC had, in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and dated March 16, 2022, accused the government of insincerity in its implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Action (MoA) reached with the government in October 2020 and February 2021. The unions had given a two-week ultimatum to the government to implement its demands, issuing ‘red alerts’ to members.