Two unions in tertiary institutions: Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, say they cannot guarantee industrial harmony if the federal government fails to pay their four months withheld salaries in two weeks.
The unions, under the Joint Action Committee, said this to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on Thursday.
They spoke in a letter they sent to Mamman, titled: “Re-Four months withheld salaries: Demand for immediate payment.”
The letter was signed by NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, and SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim.
The unions, in the letter, recalled that the JAC of NASU and SSANU had embarked on a one-week warning strike between March 18 and 24, 2024.
They said: “This is to protest the denial of the arrears of four months salaries withheld between May and August 24, 2022.
Also Read:
- 17,000 jostle for 2,500 Abia teaching jobs
- LAUTECH workers protest ‘sudden’ salary reduction
- IPI, MRA issue resource guide on instruments protecting press freedom
- 14-year-old girl docked over alleged N4m theft
- Ondo governor sacks two female media aides
“Following series of letters and the assurances of the payment, we write to remind the Honourable Minister of our various letters, engagements, assurances towards the payment of the four (4) months withheld salaries of SSANU and NASU.
“We wish to express our regrets and dismay that up till date, the withheld salaries have not been paid to our members.
“We view it as an act of insincerity and neglect on the part of government to the yearnings and aspirations of our members.”
The unions said that the government had negated the spirit of collective bargaining and built distrust.
They added that the deafening silence of the government and failure to pay the withheld salaries was creating a high level of agitation and contention among their members in the Universities and Inter-University Centres.
The letter said: “This is such that we can no longer guarantee industrial peace and harmony on university campuses.
“We, therefore, demand the immediate payment of the four months withheld salaries to our members not later than two weeks from the date of this correspondence, failing which we will be left with no option than to shut down the Universities and Inter-University Centres.”
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
