SSANU, NASU suspend strike for 60 days

By Ukpono Ukpong

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions, (NASU), and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, have suspended its ongoing strike effective from Wednesday, August 24, for initial 60 days.

Announcing the suspension, the spokesman of the Joint Action Committee, (JAC), Prince Peters Adeyemi said that the two months is to allow government implement the agreements reached.

Adeyemi said that the suspension followed the conclusion of negotiation between the two unions and the federal government team led by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.

“Part of the agreement is the decision of the government to set aside the sum of N50 billion for the payment of earned academic and earned allowances, cogent decision on the University Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (U3PS), release of the white paper on university visitation panel and funding of the universities.

“On the poor funding of federal institutions, the Minister said he directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure that all the schools are up-to-date on what they are supposed to do, otherwise sanctions will be visited on any institution that defaults.

“The Minister of Education also gave an assurance that no member of the unions that participated in the strike will be victimised.

“The Minister said President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to devout 15 per cent of the national budget to education.

“On the salary payment system, the Minister said the alternative payment systems provided by ASUU JAC of NASU and SSANU did very well. He added that the Federal Government is awaiting the report of the technical committee it set up before taking action on the matter.”

He said that “after a very prolonged negotiations and dialogue between the two unions and the Federal Government led by the Minister of Education and after the meeting, the two unions decided to suspend the strike for the initial period of two months, DailyTimesNGR gathered.

“When we presented the offers that the government made to our members, they think that since the majority of the issues that are in contention have been substantially addressed by the government, the strike is ehreby be suspended effective this Wednesday, 24 August 2022.”

SSANU in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, said, “Nigerians would recall that the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU embarked on a National Industrial Action on 27th March, 2022.

“The National Industrial Action was for an initial two week period, but owing to the nature of response which we considered almost non-existent, had to be renewed for another two weeks, leading to another one month and subsequently three months to allow concrete decisions to be taken on our demands.

“The purpose of the strike which entered its 146 days today was to drive home our demands for the following;

Renegotiation of our 2009 agreements with the Federal Government;

“The inconsistencies occasioned by IPPIS and our demand for replacement of the payment platform with the University Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (U3PS); Non-payment of earned allowances;

Payment of arrears of National Minimum wage; Release of white papers on visitation panel reports; Usurpation of headships of non-teaching units in clear violation of establishment procedures.

“Full reinstatement of staff school teachers in line with the National Industrial Court Judgement; Poor funding and governance of state universities. In the course of the industrial action, we had engaged with various organs of government including the Presidency represented by the Chief of Staff to the President.

“We had also had meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Honourable Minister of Education and heads of various governmental agencies in order to ensure a speedy resolution of the impasse.

“As responsible unions, we have always guided ourselves with the principle that in a collective bargaining, no party takes all and no party should lose all. We are not deluded in any Winner takes all philosophy but a consideration for what is best for our members, what is best for our Nigerian University System and indeed what is best for the Nigerian nation.

“This strike would have been avoidable if both parties, the government and the union(s) had kept to their parts of the bargain. Unfortunately the bane of industrial harmony in the University system has been the issue of not honouring agreements freely entered into.

“Today, (Saturday) after series of engagements with the Honourable Minister of Education and having considered the issue that led to the strike, and having satisfied ourselves that government, this time around, has committed itself to agreeing to respect the agreements that have been reached at the meetings, we believe that it is only honourable that we give the government the benefit of the doubt while the needful is being done at the government’s end.

“To this end, we hereby inform you of a two months window given to the government to actualize the agreements that have been reached. The two months window is in the nature of a ceasefire and does not represent a closure on the industrial action.

“It is our sincere prayer, given the assurance made by the Honourable Minister of Education and our commitment to ensure an end to the ongoing impasse, that the two months opportunity will suffice for actions to be taken and the entire matter laid to rest.

“We wish to thank all Nigerians, the Nigeria Labour Congress and affiliates, the Media and all stakeholders in the Nigerian Educational system for their various roles so far and plead with them to continue to prevail on government to play its own side of the bargain in the interest of peace in our Universities and Inter-university Centres.

“In view of the above, NASU and SSANU members are hereby directed to resume duties on Wednesday, 24th August, 2022.”