The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have suspended their indefinite strike over withheld salaries, effective Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The strike, which began on October 28, 2024, was called in response to the government’s withholding of four months’ salaries from 2022.
The federal government’s decision to disburse funds for the previously withheld salaries, starting November 2, 2024, led to the suspension of the strike. This development follows prolonged negotiations between the unions and the labour, education, and finance ministries.
NASU and SSANU had been seeking payment of the withheld salaries, as well as other benefits, including the N50 billion earned allowances, arrears of 25/35 percent, and the wage award. While the government has agreed to pay two months of the withheld salaries, discussions on the remaining two months and other outstanding issues are ongoing.
The strike suspension is for one month, allowing for further negotiations and resolution of the outstanding issues. The unions have directed their branch leaders to convene joint congresses on November 4, 2024, to inform members of the development and urge them to resume work on November 5, 2024.
This resolution comes after President Bola Tinubu signed the release of four months of withheld salaries for public university teaching staff in 2023, which non-teaching staff unions like NASU and SSANU felt was discriminatory. The unions are hopeful that the current negotiations will lead to a permanent resolution of the issues.
In a joint statement, NASU General Secretary Prince Peters Adeyemi and SSANU National President Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim expressed appreciation for their members’ solidarity and cooperation during the strike. They also acknowledged the government’s commitment to addressing their demands.
