The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union have stated that unpaid salaries owed them by the federal government was the reason for issuing a 7-day warning strike.
According to the aggrieved workers, the strike is set to begin on March 18, to demand the payment of four months of withheld salaries.
Speaking on Monday, the SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, emphasised that the warning strike was a last resort after multiple attempts to communicate with the government.
Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim stated, “What played out at today’s meeting is that members have unanimously resolved that they will not accept this injustice meted on us because there is no explanation that can scientifically or naturally be given to anyone as to why one group of our staff is paid and then the other three groups are left.”
He added, “Therefore, we have given the next one week where members will go back to their branches and sensitise our members. This time around, it is going to be a total strike. For seven days, there will be no water, no electricity, no medicals, no office work. Everybody will leave his office work until when those seven days reach.”
The unions’ warning strike adds to the growing unrest over economic challenges in Nigeria, following nationwide protests by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over economic hardship, leading to a 29.90 per cent inflation rate in January.
The protests have also sparked looting of food warehouses and trailers in the North-East, as confirmed by the Department of State Services.
