The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions (NASU) have suspended their strike action against the Federal Government.
Just like the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU that began strike in February, the unions went on strike in March, few weeks after the Academics down tools.
While revealing this position to journalists on Saturday, President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, said the strike had been suspended for two months.
He said the unions took the action to give room for the federal government to implement all the agreements reached.
“We have only suspended the strike for 60 days. This is just to open a window for the federal government to fulfill all its agreements with us. We will resume the strike after 60 days if the government fails on its promises,” Comrade Ibrahim said.
He said the suspension of the strike will take effect on Wednesday, August 24.
Before the strike, the unions had written the Office of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, accusing the government of insincerity in its implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Action (MoA) reached with the government in October 2020 and February 2021 respectively.
In the letter by jointly signed by SSANU President and NASU General Secretary, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, the unions threatened a two-week warning strike if the government failed to act.
“In view of the nonchalant attitude of the government to our demands, this is to direct our members in all universities and inter-university centres throughout the country to commence a two-week strike by midnight of Sunday, 27 March, 2022, in the first instance as earlier conveyed to the federal government in our letter.
“Please note that the two-week warning strike should be comprehensive and total as no concession should be given under any guise.
“Your strict compliance and adherence to this directive is mandatory for all branches of NASU and SSANU in the universities and inter-university centres,” the letter read.
The JAC of SSANU and NASU directed its members to resume work by Wednesday 24th August, 2022, while the unions continue to explore all available options to continue to engage the government believing that the 60 days will also avail the government ample time to handle all outstanding contentious issues in the Memorandum of Agreement.