KEY POINTS

• NASU and SSANU give the Nigerian government a final warning over withheld salaries.
• The unions threaten to go on strike if demands are not met within 14 days.
• The government has yet to resolve disputes stemming from a previous industrial action in 2022.

NASU and SSANU, the two non-academic unions in Nigerian universities have threatened the federal government of the country with the last alert over unpaid salaries.

The unions are now demanding their rights within the next 14 days, otherwise, they are ready to go on another strike after waiting for months.

Unresolved salary disputes

The disagreement arose from unpaid wages after the unions engaged in a strike in 2022. NASU and SSANU had embarked on a strike action along with other university unions that grounded the university system for several months.

While the strike was later called off, many of the staff did not get their full wages, which led to continuing conflict between the unions and the government.

Business Day has reported that the unions claim that non-payment of the outstanding salaries is a violation of the return to work agreement.

The unions are calling on the government to not only pay the withheld wages but also pay the salaries on time so that there is no disruption of education again.

Unions demand action

NASU and SSANU leadership in a joint statement accused the federal government of not fulfilling its promises and abandoning the welfare of university staff.

They complained of the continued delays and said that if the matter is not addressed, they will be forced to call on their members to go on strike again.

The unions have laid down their demands and have given the government 14 days to respond, which is quite an aggressive stance.

If the government does not respond within this period, the unions are willing to go on an indefinite strike which will inevitably paralyze the public university system in the country again.

Increasing strain in the education system

This looming strike is an addition to the existing tension within Nigeria’s education sector. The country’s universities have been experiencing several interferences over the past few years through strikes and protests, which have left students in the middle of their academic years.

Some students have complained that another strike would slow down their learning process while parents are concerned with the quality of education that their children are receiving.

The unions have noted that they are not only struggling for themselves but for the future of the education sector.

They opine that issues such as unpaid salaries and poor working conditions lead to a brain drain since many talented employees seek employment in other countries.

Hope for resolution

Although there is a possibility of another strike shortly, there is optimism that the government and the unions will come to a positive agreement.

The leaders of the unions have urged the government to engage them in a dialogue and have also shown their readiness to cooperate with the government to come up with a solution to the problems ailing the country.

Students and parents in the education sector are calling on the government to act fast to avoid a repeat of the closure of public universities.

The government has not formally reacted to the unions’ final notice and the next two weeks will be decisive to know if Nigeria’s higher education system will experience another disruption.