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Tag: SSANU

  • Tinubu orders payment of NASU, SSANU our months withheld salaries  

    Tinubu orders payment of NASU, SSANU our months withheld salaries  

    The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun and Education Minister Prof Tahir Mamman, have been directed by President Bola Tinubu, to find solutions for paying four months’ salaries owed to university non-teaching staff, including members of SSANU and NASU.

    Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), revealed this after a meeting between organized labour leaders and President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

    He stated that the labour unions had reported the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command to the President for forcefully halting their peaceful protest against the withheld salaries.

     

  • BREAKING: SSANU, NASU members clash with security personnel during protest in Abuja

    BREAKING: SSANU, NASU members clash with security personnel during protest in Abuja

    Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and that of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) are currently gathered at the Unity Fountain Abuja, protesting the non payment of their four-month salaries.

    The protest is being led by the President of SSANU, Mohammed Aruna Ibrahim and General Secretary of NASU, Comrade Peters Adeyemi.

    The protesters are demanding the payment of their four months’ withheld salaries and the renegotiation of the 2010 agreement with the Federal Government among other demands.

    The unions as well as the Academic Staff Union of Universities had in 2022 embarked on a long strike. While SSANU and NASU had a four-month strike, the ASUU strike lasted eight months.

    However, President Bola Tinubu directed that the affected staff be paid four-month salaries, SSANU and NASU members claimed the wages were not paid, while ASUU members were paid.

    Both unions have instructed their members to stage a nationwide protest on July 9 across all state chapters, with a follow-up national protest scheduled for Abuja on Thursday.

    However, a mild drama ensued at the Unity Fountain as stern looking security personnel prevented the protesters from leaving the convergence point.

     

  • Resolve impasse on new minimum wage now – SSANU tells FG

    Resolve impasse on new minimum wage now – SSANU tells FG

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has advised the Federal Government to quickly resolve the impasse surrounding the implementation of a new minimum wage for workers in the country.

    The Chairman of the association,  Federal University, Lokoja (FUL), Kazeem Suarau, gave the advice while receiving an award/commendation letter from the Centre for Ethics and Self Value Orientation (CESVO).

    Suarau said the current economic situation in the country had exacerbated the sufferings of the masses, hence the need for immediate resolution of the deadlock to allow for an acceptable new minimum wage.

    “The current delay in the implementation of the minimum wage has negatively impacted on the livelihood of millions of hardworking Nigerians, who struggle daily to make ends meet.

    “As prices of essential goods and services continue to rise, the purchasing power of ordinary citizens has dwindled, further deepening poverty and inequality in the country.

    “It is crucial to recognise that an adequate minimum wage is not just a matter of economic policy but a fundamental human rights issue.

    “It directly impacts the wellbeing and dignity of workers and their families, ensuring they can afford basic necessities and live decent lives.

    “Therefore, I urge the government to prioritise and expedite the process of implementing a revised minimum wage that reflects current economic realities.

    “This action will not only alleviate the sufferings of the masses but also stimulate economic growth by boosting consumer spending and overall productivity,” Suarau said.

    He said that SSANU FUL members would join their non-academic colleagues nationwide to stage a protest on July 9 over the nonpayment of their withheld four months salary.

    According to him, we are compelled to announce that protests will be held on all university campuses next Tuesday, July 9.

    He said that despite the approval by  President Bola Tinubu for the release of the withheld salaries and assurances to promptly pay, SSANU/NASU members had yet to be paid to date.

    “Our National Executive has engaged in multiple discussions with the Ministers of Education and Labour as well as the Senate and House of Representatives Education Committees, to address this pressing issue.

    “Regrettably, despite these engagements and assurances, there has been no tangible progress in fulfilling the government’s commitment to remunerate non-teaching members,” he said.

    Saurau thanked CESVO for finding him and other executive members of SSANU, FUL branch, worthy of the award and commendation letters.

    Earlier, while presenting the award on Suarau, the CESVO Executive Director, Salihu Yakubu, said the center was determined and resolute in its fight against corruption and promotion of transparency and accountability in the country.

    Yakubu said that the award and commendation letters were in recognition of the leadership quality of SSANU FUL  and commended the dexterity at which the union’s affairs werr being piloted for the betterment of the members.

  • Minimum Wage: SSANU condemns slow pace in concluding negotiation

    Minimum Wage: SSANU condemns slow pace in concluding negotiation

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has condemned the slow pace by government in concluding negotiation process on new national minimum wage for workers in the country.

    Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, National President of SSANU said this in a communique issued on Tuesday in Abja at the 48th Regular National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in University of Benin, Edo State.

    In a copy of the communiqué made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, Ibrahim said the “NEC is seriously peeved and irritated by the dodgy and slow pace of government” in concluding the negotiation process.

    “The cost of living has skyrocketed due to hyper-inflation making it near impossible for workers to cope with the current economic situation.

    “NEC, therefore, requests government to comply with the demands of labour and hasten the process of negotiation.

    “They should also approve and implement a New National Minimum wage that will be domesticated by both states, local governments and the organised private sector.

    “If this is not urgently done, SSANU will join forces with other labour unions to shut down the system, ”he said.

    He said NEC also deliberated on the irregular payment of N35,000 wage award to federal civil servants primarily meant to cushion the agonising effects of fuel subsidy removal pending the approval and implementation of a new National minimum wage.

    He, therefore, called on the federal government to immediately resume the payment of the wage award alongside the accrued three months arrears without further delay.

    The national president also called on the federal government to pay the association members’ withheld four months salary arrears.

    “NEC in session deliberated on the matter and unanimously approved a long drawn comprehensive industrial action after concurrence with the Joint Action Committee meeting of SSANU and NASU.

    “The meeting is scheduled for Thursday 4th July, 2024, if Government fails to pay the four months salary arrears,” he said.

    Ibrahim also said NEC called on government to, as a matter of urgency, reconstitute a new Committee for the renegotiation of the SSANU/FGN 2009 Agreement as the issue was long overdue.

    He frowned at the non-appointment of educationist and experienced technocrats who could have contributed better to the development of the citadels of learning.

    Ibrahim also called for the funding of the university system in the country.

    “Many of these universities, especially at the state level, face challenges of course accreditation, while in some cases, staffers languish in abject poverty due to non-payment of salaries for several months.

    “Abia State University workers are been owed 13 months salary arrears while those in Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma are being selectively paid,”he said.

    He urged government to immediately commence aggressive rehabilitation of roads nationwide.

    Ibrahim also said NEC condemned recently the plan by government to borrow from the contributory Pension Funds to fund national infrastructure.

  • NASU, SSANU threaten strike, give 2-week ultimatum

    NASU, SSANU threaten strike, give 2-week ultimatum

    Two unions in tertiary institutions say they cannot guarantee industrial harmony if the federal government fails to pay their four months withheld salaries in two weeks.

    The unions are the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

    The unions, under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), made their position known in a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on Thursday, in Abuja.

    The letter titled, “Re-Four months withheld salaries: Demand for immediate payment,” was signed by NASU General Secretary, Mr Peters Adeyemi and SSANU President, Mr 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 March 24.

    “This is to protest the denial of the arrears of four months salaries withheld between May and August 24, 2022.

    “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,”it said.

    The unions said that the government had negated the spirit of collective bargaining and built distrust.

    They added that the deafening silence of government and failure to pay the withheld salaries was creating high level of agitation and contention among their members in the Universities and Inter-University Centres.

    “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,”it said.

  • SSANU ends warning strike

    SSANU ends warning strike

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has announced the end of its seven-day warning strike, to give more room for government to do the needful.

    President of the association, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, made the declaration at a virtual stakeholders forum, organised by the Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

    The forum, which also had Mr Ibeji Nwokoma, President of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational And Associated Institutions (NASU) in attendance, was on “Withheld Salaries vs Labour Crisis”.

    The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of affected university labour unions had, on March 18, directed members to down tools, following their four months withheld salaries and the non implementation of agreement they entered into with the Federal Government in 2009.

    “We had a meeting with representatives of the Federal Government in Abuja on Wednesday and nothing tangible came out  concerning the issue.

    “Yes, they acknowledged the fact that we were on strike and that the action had paralysed activities on campuses of federal universities.

    “So, the meeting was nothing but an appeal to suspend the strike, while they do something as soon as possible.

    “Now, just imagine a situation where there is no water, no light, no mobilisation of graduates for NYSC, which are all responsibilities of our members in universities.

    “The strike will end by 12 midnight. We’ll go back to our various branches to review the outcome of the warning strike, as well as the recent meeting with the federal government, and from there agree on the next line of action.

    “We have given a window to do the needful and failure to meet their own side of the bargain will be met with drastic action, “ he warned.

    He noted that it was no longer news that government would make promises, only to renege on it, citing the 2009 renegotiation agreement as an instance.

    “We have the right to go on strike once we follow the due process. It could be a warning strike just like the one that is ending this night (Sunday).

    “No one can stifle us, or stop us from voicing out our pains.

    “We could picket our working places. We could also report to work without working and so forth.

    “All are lawful in the labour law. So, nobody can take them away from us.

    “ We are not asking for anything outside our rights. We cannot continue this way, because after all, we too are humans, we are also parents, with bills to pay and mouths to feed,” he said.

    The union leader blamed the present state of things on the government’s attitude toward the education sector.

    He said that members of unions were pained using strike as a last resort to drive home their demands, considering the impact it normally had on the students.

    “It is not that the university workers including SSANU like to go on strike, it is the government that always pushes us to apply that sanction. It is unfortunate for the government to take serious matters with levity.

    “Members of our various unions are very critical in the running of any given university system. We should be taken seriously, whenever we make demands like our counterpart union in the same system.

    “We deserve to be treated equally. There should be no preferential treatment. For government not to have paid us the withheld salaries like our sister union (ASUU), is a great disservice to us.

    “I want to say that we will continue to fight against this injustice until the right thing is done,” he said.

    He said that the best way to prevent incessant strikes in the entire education sector was to fund it adequately.

    “If you spend well in education, you spend less fighting insecurity, hunger, poverty and others. Government should take a cue from other climes.

    “So, the panacea to ending crisis in Nigerian universities, in fact, in the entire sector, is funding and more funding ,” he stated.

    He noted that since the struggle by members of the various unions to get government to do the needful, many of them had lost their lives in the last one and half years, due to lack of funds to access good healthcare.

    Mohammed also decried the issue of non autonomy in the university system, adding that the situation was creating issues for the smooth operation of the system.

    He also urged government to ensure that appointment of vice chancellors and principal officers of universities, especially the federal ones, should be based solely on merit, rather than through what he described as ‘godfatherism’.

    The SSANU leader said that same must be applied to appointment of members of Governing Councils across board.

  • Nigerian university system needs urgent attention – SSANU

    Nigerian university system needs urgent attention – SSANU

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has described the Nigerian university system as one in need of urgent attention to correct its anomalies.

    Mr Patrick Esiehor, Chairman, SSANU, Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE) branch, said this in a telephone interview in Warri on Tuesday.

    Esiehor, while commenting on the warning strike the association embarked upon on Monday, said the strike would continue until the national body order its suspension.

    A check to the university campus on Tuesday revealed that members of SSANU were not at their duty posts true to the call for the strike.

    The branch chairman said that members of the association in FUPRE fully complied with the warning strike.

    “As I speak with you now, I am at home and likewise others.

    “The strike is holding and total in FUPRE. The people you met on duties today on the campus belong to other unions in the university.

    “For SSANU, we are on strike. We are not happy with the way the government is treating the non-academic staff in the same university system.

    “We followed due process before we embarked on our previous strike, but it is quite unfortunate that the government politicised things and decided not to pay salaries within that period.

    “Now that Mr President has given an Executive Order that the salaries should be paid, a section of the staff was paid and others left behind,” he said.

    The chairman noted the failure of the Federal Government (FG) to improve the nation’s university system by correcting some of its anomalies.

    He identified the inadequate funding of the university system and the government’s failure to upwardly review salaries with effect from January 2023 as some issues begging for attention.

    “Up till now, that has not been implemented.

    “However, because of this warning strike, we hear that the government has factored it into this March salary.

    “Even if they do that, we have about 14 months arrears of that,” he said.

    He alleged that while the Vice-Chancellor, Registrars, and Bursars were also being owed, they had remained quiet being members of management staff.

    Recall that the national body of SSANU had ordered its members to embark on a seven-day warning strike effective Monday to press home their demands.

  • SSANU, NASU strike plunges UI into darkness

    SSANU, NASU strike plunges UI into darkness

    The University of Ibadan (UI) has been plunged into total darkness following the non-teaching staff unions’ strike.

    The strike was embarked upon on Monday by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) as directed by their national bodies.

    Speaking with NAN on Tuesday on the effects of the strike, the Chairman, SSANU, UI, Mr Rasak Omisore, said the union was forced to down tools to press home their demands.

    He said their agitations included unpaid four months’ salaries and funding of the universities, both at the federal and state levels.

    Omisore added that there would be no meaningful development in Nigeria if the funding of education took the back seat.

    “We are also talking about the constitution of governing councils for all the universities where their councils have been dissolved, as the importance of councils in universities cannot be underestimated.

    “We are expecting the Federal Government to invite the national council of our union to address the issues of our demands,” Omisore said.

    He said almost all the offices in the university were locked with members of staff in the administrative offices not on duty.

    “Yes, you see students on campus, and they are receiving their lectures because ASUU is not on strike, but the works and maintenance department is a very vital part of the university as there has neither been light nor water due to the strike.

    “Establishment offices are not working and Jaja is on skeletal duty,” the chairman said.

    Meanwhile, the leadership of UI Students’ Union, led by its President, Tobiloba Samuel, says it has met with SSANU to plead for the restoration of power in the hostels.

    Samuel, in an interview with NAN, called on the government to accede to the demands of the unions as students bear the brunt of the faceoff.

    “We have to come to the understanding that every member of the university community is very important and if the teaching staff, the non-teaching staff, and the students are not at the optimum level, we cannot have the effective academic environment that we need.

    “For the last 24 hours, students have been in great distress. We have not had light in 24 hours; meaning there is no water; amenities are not working, and some lecture halls are not open.

    “We are calling on them to do the needful to ensure that peace returns to our various campuses and not just the University of Ibadan,” Samuel said.

    He says the students stand in solidarity with the unions because the fight for a better education system is everybody’s business.

    Some of the students told NAN that they were receiving lectures and writing tests with lecturers making use of alternative classes like the postgraduate classrooms.

    However, the leadership and members of the unions enforced the strike at the UI maintenance department, the staff school, and the postgraduate school.

    Also, some gates serving as shorter routes, especially for the hostels, were closed, thus making the students to travel longer distances.

    The use of lecture halls, toilets, and other faculty facilities was also affected by the strike.

  • NLC reacts as FG appeals to SSANU, NASU to call off strike

    NLC reacts as FG appeals to SSANU, NASU to call off strike

    The Federal Government has appealed to the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) to call off their seven-day warning strike.

    Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State, Labour and Employment made the appeal in a statement signed by Mr Olajide Oshundun, Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry on Monday in Abuja.

    It would be recalled that the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU had directed its members to embark on a seven- day warning strike over the non-payment of four months withheld salaries.

    Recall that the President Bola Tinubu had in October 2023, directed that the university workers that embarked on prolonged strike in 2022 should be paid four months.

    Recall also that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who were part of the unions that embarked on the strike had been paid their own withheld four months salaries.

    Onyejeocha also expressed displeasure at the action of the unions, which she described as a total disregard of Federal Government’s concerted effort to address the concern of the unions.

    According to her, the Ministry was not officially notified by the unions of their intention to proceed on a seven-day warning strike.

    “”This is contrary to the provisions of section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act.

    “The ministry got wind of the intended warning strike and it reached out to the leadership of the unions for an emergency meeting in order to avert the strike.

    “Unfortunately, a physical meeting could not be arranged between the unions and the federal government, but a tele-discussion took place between their leadership and the ministry,” she said.

    Onyejeocha said that consequently, the ministry suggested another date, Monday 18th March, for a proper conciliation meeting.

    She added that she believed that on the basis of that discussion, the intended strike would be put on hold pending the outcome of the meeting; but this date was rejected by the unions.

    The minister however, maintained that strike did not serve any useful purpose and should only be resorted to as a last option after exhausting every conciliation effort.

    Onyejocha appealed to SSANU and NASU to step back from their hard-line stance and meet the federal government at the table for conciliation.

    She however, appealed to all Nigerians to always take steps that were beneficial to the well-being of the country and the citizens.

    Pay NASU, SSANU withheld salaries to avoid academic drift – NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the immediate payment of the withheld salaries of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU)and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

    Mr Joe Ajaero, NLC President urged the Federal Government to pay the four months outstanding salaries to avoid drift in the academic sector.

    In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the NLC President said at a time confidence was being restored to the public universities, the worst thing the government could do is to engineer another strike.

    It will be recalled that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU had issued a circular to its members to proceed on seven-day warning strike from 18th of March over non-payment of the salaries as approved by President Bola Tinubu.

    The four months withheld salaries arose from the nationwide strike embarked upon by all unions in the public universities in the country.

    While the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was paid the withheld salaries in full, NASU and SSANU were allegedly denied of the full payment.

    Ajaero said: “There has been no credible reason or explanation for withholding those salaries in the first place.

    “We recall this singular act plunged the members into indescribable hardship.

    “Much worse, it defies logic to try to subject members of these unions to discriminatory treatment.

    “By so doing government is clearly courting avoidable industrial dispute,” he said.

    The NLC President stressed that the effects of the strike on the parties would be unacceptably high, especially for students and parents.

    He, therefore, urged the government to expeditiously pay up the outstandings salaries

    “We advise government not to take for granted the maturity of these unions,” he said.

  • SSANU, NASU begin nationwide strike

    SSANU, NASU begin nationwide strike

    The leadership of both the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have begun nationwide strike today.

    The seven-day industrial action, according to a memo addressed to the branches of the unions and dated Friday, 15 March, is in fulfilment of the earlier threat and ultimatum issued to the Nigerian government by the unions over the unpaid withheld salaries of their members.

    The memo, which was issued by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of both SSANU and NASU, and signed by the National President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, and the General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi, urged the branch leaders to ensure total compliance to the directive.

    “Definitely, it (the strike) has already started,” SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, declared on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Monday.

    “As at today (Monday), all our workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, secruity, students’ affairs have withdrawn their services, and nothing moves within the administration of any public university in Nigeria and that will be the case for the next seven days until and unless the needful is done.”

    He lamented that no government representative has reached out to the non-academic unions and though some have reached out unofficially, their assurances cannot be taken to the bank.

    Ibrahim sensed some “saboteurs in his government” and wondered why President Bola Tinubu would give an instruction that members of varsity unions be paid 2022 arrears, and some government officials won’t fully comply.

    The SSANU President said the Labour Minister Nkiruka Onyejeocha has not reached out to the aggrieved unions despite that a seven-day notice was issued last Monday, a development he said was a departure to the responsiveness of the ex-Labour Minister Chris Ngige.

    Ibrahim said should the government fail to heed the demands of the unions after the seven-day warning strike which commenced today, SSANU and NASU would go back to their toolbox and decide the next line of action.