Varsity Workers Ground Academic Activities As Warning Strike Begins Today

Academic activities may be grounded today on campuses as workers under the auspices of the Non- Academic Staff Union of Universities and Educational institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) commences a five-day warning strike.

The strike, according to the unions, was prompted by the failure of federal government to meet the workers’ demands such as earned allowances, renegotiation of the 2009 agreement and sacked workers of university staff schools.

The two unions had penultimate week issued a 14-day ultimatum which expired yesterday to the federal government to meet their demands,

SSANU president, Comrade Samson Ugwoke told LEADERSHIP yesterday that “Yes, it’s starting tomorrow (Monday) and goes on till Friday.”

Last Friday, the branches of the unions were put on standby to get further directives from the Joint Action Committee (JAC) on the strike.

On August 6, 2019, the unions resumed a nationwide protest in all the universities to draw public attention to their members’ plight.

In a circular they issued to all the branches after the JAC meeting in Abuja, the unions threatened that at the expiration of the ultimatum, if the federal government failed to address all their grievances, they would withdraw their services and shut down the universities.

The workers in the circular titled: “Notice of Industrial Action”, which was signed by the chairman of JAC and president of SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke and the general secretary of NASU, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, lamented what they described as the non challant attitude of the federal government towards addressing their grievances and obeying court judgment.

The circular read in part: “This is to inform you that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU met today, Thursday, 1st August, 2019 to consider the issues which led to the nationwide protest in our various branches, viz, payment of earned allowances, university staff schools matter, renegotiation of 2009 FGN/Unions Agreement among others.

“After extensive deliberations, JAC further observed that ‘no date has been rescheduled by the Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, for the meeting with the leadership of JAC national’.

“The meeting earlier scheduled by the Federal Ministry of Education with the leadership of JAC national has been rescheduled for Wednesday, August 7, 2019 with no reason(s) stated.

“From the foregoing, JAC national has resolved as follows: That a 14-day ultimatum of industrial action be given to the federal government of Nigeria to address the pending issues with effect from Monday, 5th August, 2019. During the period of the ultimatum, all branches are hereby directed to carry out peaceful protest on Tuesday, 6th August, 2019 and Thursday, 15th August, 2019 respectively.

“At the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum, Sunday, 18th August 2019, without any positive response from the federal government, members shall proceed on a five-day warning strike in all branches from Monday, 19th to Friday, 23rd August, 2019, inclusive.

“You are therefore directed to properly mobilise our members for this action. All defaulting branches shall be sanctioned accordingly.”