University Unions Suspend Strike as FG Pays 25% Withheld Salaries

The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has announced a one-month suspension of their ongoing strike after receiving a partial payment of their withheld salaries.

Union representatives confirmed on Friday that members received one month’s salary out of the four months owed by the government. SSANU Vice-President, Abdussobur Salaam, remarked, “They should pay for all four months. Paying just one month represents only 25 percent of what’s due to us.”

The indefinite strike initially began on October 28, 2024, when the unions protested over withheld salaries, effectively halting activities across Nigerian universities. However, following the recent payment, SSANU and NASU, through a joint statement from SSANU National President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, have urged members to resume work on November 5, 2024.

The statement highlighted that discussions with the Federal Government led to an agreement on a staggered payment plan: an additional month’s salary will be paid by the end of November 2024. In light of the government’s commitment, union leaders have directed branch leaders to brief members and prepare for work resumption on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

In their statement, NASU and SSANU acknowledged their members’ dedication throughout the strike and commended recent engagements with the Minister of Education, the Minister of Finance, and the Department of State Services, which facilitated the agreement.

Ongoing discussions also address outstanding issues, including the N50 billion in earned allowances, arrears, and other union demands such as salary adjustments and implementation of the 2009 agreements.

The government previously invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy through the Ministry of Labour and Employment during a prolonged 2022 strike involving all university-based unions.