The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has declared the continuation of its nationwide strike following a meeting with the Federal Government, which ended without reaching a resolution.
The meeting, which also involved the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU), failed to bring resolution.
Muhammed Ibrahim, the National President of SSANU, reaffirmed the decision to prolong the strike, stating, “Strike continues,” in response to the outcome of the meeting.
The strike action, initiated by SSANU and NASU, commenced on Monday with a seven-day duration. The protest aims to address the issue of four-month salaries withheld by the Federal Government in 2021 due to the unions’ previous strike activities. This withholding of salaries was based on the government’s adherence to the principle of ‘No work; no pay’ during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
While the current administration, led by President Bola Tinubu, ordered the release of withheld salaries for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), SSANU and NASU members were excluded from this action. Despite repeated requests to release their salaries, the government ignored their demands, prompting the unions to initiate the strike.