NATIONAL: SSANU, NASU considering indefinite strike after 3-day protest, to convene congresses

AFTER a three-day nationwide protest organised by members of the Non-Academic Staff Union and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the sharing formula of the N40b earned academic allowances among other grievances, the unions may embark on an indefinite strike.

This is following the order from the Joint Action Committee to both unions in various branches across the Federation to convene congresses on January 19.

The unions will weigh the option of using strike as last resort over the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the unions by the Federal Government last October.

This was disclosed on Thursday in a circular titled, ‘Request for branch resolutions,’ co-signed by the NASU and SSANU Presidents, Dr Makolo Hassan and Mohammed Ibrahim
According to the circular, the resolution of the congresses should be forwarded to the National Secretariats of the respective unions via email.

It explained that a meeting of the JAC leadership would be convened next Thursday to collate and make a decision on the branch resolutions which would be communicated to the branches, subsequently.

The directive read, “The National JAC further observed the need for members of the unions (NASU and SSANU) to take ownership of subsequent decisions in respect of the way forward after the nationwide protests.

“To this end, Branch Chairmen of NASU and SSANU are hereby directed to convene joint congresses simultaneously on Tuesday 19th, January 2021 to take a resolution on the possible commencement of an indefinite and total national strike in respect of non-implementation of the issues contained in the Memorandum of Understanding signed and agreed with the unions by the Federal Government on 20th October 2020.”