We’ll Go On Strike When Schools Reopen – SSANU, NASU

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities have vowed to proceed on strike immediately schools resume.

The development was disclosed by the Chairman, Joint Action Committee of the unions, Samson Ugwoke, at a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

The resolution was also signed by Ugwoke and the NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi.

The Unions are protesting the lingering Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) debacle, non-payment of arrears of earned allowance and minimum wage.

The unions are also aggrieved over alleged lack of seriousness by the Babalakin Committee renegotiating the 2009 FG/NASU, SSANU agreements, poor funding of universities, absence of visitation panels, among others.

Ugwoke lamented that after many other sectors had been paid minimum wage, university workers were still left out.

“We find this development totally unwholesome. Given the time lag of over a year, since it was implemented in other sectors, members of the public would agree that we have been patient enough in the university system.”

The unions decried that despite series of letters by the IPPIS since February, members were still facing salary issues.

“Pay us the arrears of both earned allowances and minimum wage, among others”, Ugwoke told the government.

He further stated that if schools finally reopen and the needful is not put in place, the unions would go on strike.