SSANU says FG’s resolve to withhold salaries of members insensitive

The leadership of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, says it will not relent until the four month withheld salaries of its members are paid.

SSANU insists government lacks every justification to withhold the salaries of its members for the period on strike in the interest of industrial peace.

[wonderplugin_video iframe=”https://youtu.be/VHSu7qHtMyI” lightbox=0 lightboxsize=1 lightboxwidth=960 lightboxheight=540 autoopen=0 autoopendelay=0 autoclose=0 lightboxtitle=”” lightboxgroup=”” lightboxshownavigation=0 showimage=”” lightboxoptions=”” videowidth=600 videoheight=400 keepaspectratio=1 autoplay=0 loop=0 videocss=”position:relative;display:block;background-color:#000;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;” playbutton=”https://www.tvcnews.tv/wp-content/plugins/wonderplugin-video-embed/engine/playvideo-64-64-0.png”]

Months after it called off its last industrial action, the senior staff association of Nigerian Universities is still locked in battle with the authorities over members’ unpaid salaries.

The National Executive Council, meeting involving its 92 branches, gathered to discuss and take positions on issues affecting members and the University community as a whole.

It is also a time to train new entrants on the rudiments of unionism.

The backlog of salaries, non-payment of arrears of minimum wage, alleged usurpation of University Governing Council’s powers and functions, withheld third party deductions and non release of N50 billion outstanding earned allowances top the agenda here.

The Union insists government’s resolve not to pay members salaries after a four month strike is insensitive.

At the end of the two-day deliberations, the union says it will continue to clamour for the release of the withheld salaries, even if it takes another industrial action.

SSANU spoke on other disturbing issues including non inclusion of its deserving members on workers entitled to hazard allowance.

The Union decried rising inflation and called on the authorities to arrest the situation in the interest of the poor masses.

SSANU had in August suspended its strike for initial to months.

This followed conclusion of negotiation between JAC and the federal government team led by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.

The two months was to allow government implement the agreements reached.

Part of the agreement is the decision of the government to set aside the sum of N50 billion for the payment of earned academic and earned allowances, cogent decision on the University Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (U3PS), release of the white paper on university visitation panel and funding of the universities.

On the poor funding of federal institutions, the Minister said he directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure that all the schools are up-to-date on what they are supposed to do, otherwise sanctions will be visited on any institution that defaults.

The Minister of Education also gave an assurance that no member of the unions that participated in the strike will be victimised.

The Minister said President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to devout 15 per cent of the national budget to education.

On the salary payment system, the Minister said the alternative payment systems provided by ASUU JAC of NASU and SSANU did very well. He added that the Federal Government is awaiting the report of the technical committee it set up before taking action on the matter.

The spokesman of JAC, Peters Adeyemi said after a very prolonged negotiations and dialogue between the two unions and the Federal Government led by the Minister of Education and after the meeting, the two unions decided to suspend the strike for the initial period of two months.