The Senior Staff Association of
Nigerian Universities (SSANU) says it may
commence a nationwide strike by Monday if its
members are not paid their salaries. Mr Promise Adewusi, the association’s General
Secretary, said this at a press briefing in Abuja
on Thursday. He said that the strike was being considered to
protest against the stoppage of the salaries of
university workers without any justifiable
explanation. He said that the strike was sequel to a letter
written to the Vice-Chancellors of the affected
federal universities and Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim,
the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation (SGF). Adewusi said that letters were similarly written
to the Minister of Labour and Productivity,
Chief Emeka Wogu, the Minister of State for
Education, Chief Nyesom Wike and the
Executive Secretary, National Universities
Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie. He, however stressed that SSANU members
would be directed to proceed on the strike if
the government refused to pay the salaries. Adewusi advised the vice-chancellors, the SGF
and the ministers of labour and education to
take immediate steps to remedy the situation. “Our members in the effected universities
have drawn our attention to the non-payment
of their August salaries without any justifiable
explanations, even as the month of September
has almost drawn to an end. “We, hereby, place on record that our members
had long discharged their obligation as workers
for the said month and they, therefore,
deserve their pay. “The non-payment of our members in the
universities, when some other federal
universities have since paid the August
salaries, is viewed by our members as an act of
punishment against them for working and this
has made them restive. “We, therefore, demand that the August
salaries of our members in those universities
be paid to them on or before Friday, Sept. 27,
2013. “Failure to pay by the stipulated date will be
regarded as a conclusive act of aggression
against the economic rights and interests of
our members,’’ he said. Adewusi said that the union would be at liberty
to direct members to stop work, as they would
no longer be in a position to continue to pay for
their transport to work. Also, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, the SSANU
Chairman in Federal University of Technology,
Minna, called on the Federal Government to pay
the workers so as to promote industrial
harmony. Aliyu said that it was unfair for the government
not to pay their salaries, considering the fact
that SSANU had employed dialogue rather than
embark on a strike like the Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASSU). He, however, warned the government not to
misjudge the union’s peaceful disposition as a
sign of weakness. “Government should not punish us because of
ASUU is on strike. If that is what they intend to
do, it means they are inviting more trouble in
the system. “We in SSANU believe that through continuous
dialogue, contentious issues can be resolved;
but for government to refuse to pay our
members for two months is a call for
confrontation,’’ he said. (NAN)
Nigerian Universities (SSANU) says it may
commence a nationwide strike by Monday if its
members are not paid their salaries. Mr Promise Adewusi, the association’s General
Secretary, said this at a press briefing in Abuja
on Thursday. He said that the strike was being considered to
protest against the stoppage of the salaries of
university workers without any justifiable
explanation. He said that the strike was sequel to a letter
written to the Vice-Chancellors of the affected
federal universities and Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim,
the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation (SGF). Adewusi said that letters were similarly written
to the Minister of Labour and Productivity,
Chief Emeka Wogu, the Minister of State for
Education, Chief Nyesom Wike and the
Executive Secretary, National Universities
Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie. He, however stressed that SSANU members
would be directed to proceed on the strike if
the government refused to pay the salaries. Adewusi advised the vice-chancellors, the SGF
and the ministers of labour and education to
take immediate steps to remedy the situation. “Our members in the effected universities
have drawn our attention to the non-payment
of their August salaries without any justifiable
explanations, even as the month of September
has almost drawn to an end. “We, hereby, place on record that our members
had long discharged their obligation as workers
for the said month and they, therefore,
deserve their pay. “The non-payment of our members in the
universities, when some other federal
universities have since paid the August
salaries, is viewed by our members as an act of
punishment against them for working and this
has made them restive. “We, therefore, demand that the August
salaries of our members in those universities
be paid to them on or before Friday, Sept. 27,
2013. “Failure to pay by the stipulated date will be
regarded as a conclusive act of aggression
against the economic rights and interests of
our members,’’ he said. Adewusi said that the union would be at liberty
to direct members to stop work, as they would
no longer be in a position to continue to pay for
their transport to work. Also, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, the SSANU
Chairman in Federal University of Technology,
Minna, called on the Federal Government to pay
the workers so as to promote industrial
harmony. Aliyu said that it was unfair for the government
not to pay their salaries, considering the fact
that SSANU had employed dialogue rather than
embark on a strike like the Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASSU). He, however, warned the government not to
misjudge the union’s peaceful disposition as a
sign of weakness. “Government should not punish us because of
ASUU is on strike. If that is what they intend to
do, it means they are inviting more trouble in
the system. “We in SSANU believe that through continuous
dialogue, contentious issues can be resolved;
but for government to refuse to pay our
members for two months is a call for
confrontation,’’ he said. (NAN)
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