SSANU, NASU plan strike as government considers reopening universities

The union is protesting about the payment of a national minimum wage and the use of a government payroll scheme.

ELFREDAH KEVIN-ALERECHI • October 3, 2020

University of Ilorin gate (Photo Credit: The Sun Nigeria)

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) say they will go on a 14-day “warning strike” from Monday.

A SSANU senior executive Ekanem Ekanem told Peoples Gazette his union is taking action because the federal government has not resolved a lingering dispute.

According to the union, issues in dispute include the payment of a national minimum wage and the use of a government payroll scheme.

“Our salaries have been inconsistent since we enrolled in the scheme,” said Mr. Ekanem. “There is a problem with the system government is using.”

Makollo Hassan, national president of NASU, told Peoples Gazette that members of his own union have also been affected by these issues.

The heads of SSANU in Imo, Lagos and Rivers say their chapters will cooperate with their national leadership.

In June 2019, the government directed all federal university staff to enroll in its Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System within four months or they would not be paid. ASUU rejected the plan.

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