THE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has tasked the ministers of labour and employment and education to take urgent steps to address industrial relations issues affecting its members in the interest of industrial peace in the sector.
The union stated this through a communiqué signed and issued by its national president, Comrade Mohammed .H. Ibrahim, at the end of its 45th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The university-based union also made a case for the recently announced 25 percent and 35 percent salary increment for workers in tertiary education sector. SSANU recalled the renegotiation of salaries for its members with the committee led by the late Professor Nimi Briggs that was at the final stage where it demanded for 700 percent wage increase but the committee offered a 23.5 percent and 35 percent review to our members.
“NEC is also aware that a provisional sum of N100 billion had been budgeted for salary review of workers in tertiary institutions which is yet to be implemented. The recent announcement for approval of an increment of 25 percent and 35 percent for tertiary institution workers by the government, which was circulated in the social media, is not a product of collective bargaining agreement with university-based unions.
“While grudgingly acknowledging this slight increase that is yet to be officially communicated to the union, our universities and inter-university centres, SSANU urges both the federal and state governments to immediately implement the increment and pay the arrears without further delay,” it said.
Also top among the issues the union raised was the lingering non-payment of the withheld four months’ salary arrears owed its members.
The communiqué read, “NEC-in-session, for the umpteenth time, condemns the action of government on the withheld four months’ salary arrears during the last nationwide strike embarked upon by its members, viewing it as insensitive and inconsiderate.
“It was obvious that SSANU complied with all legal provisions, including giving adequate notices to the appropriate authorities but were forced to embark on that strike due to government’s failure to honour its part of the agreement. SSANU, therefore, earnestly requests government to pay the withheld salaries without any further delay, considering the harsh economic realities currently faced by citizens in the country. As government is aware, the value for the money has already been eroded by hyperinflation.”
The communiqué further added “The refusal to pay the withheld salary is anti-labour and inhuman. We did not wake up to go on strike; we were pushed to the wall. The labour laws also give us the right to withdraw our services; this was exactly what we did. We didn’t violate any law. Our money has to be released for peace to reign.
“We are aware that President Bola Tinubu did instruct his ministers to hit the ground running. But the only way members of SSANU will know that our ministers of education and labour have hit the ground running is to release our withheld salaries and also fast-track the release of this reviewed salaries.
“We expected by now they should have met university-based unions. But it seems the new style of governance is meeting with people only when they threaten to go on strike. We are not afraid of making trouble but our strategy in SSANU is different. Because we are a people who think before we act, we only raise our voice when the knees of the antagonists are on our neck.”
SSANU further reiterated its call for renegotiation of the 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and tertiary education-based unions.
It said, “The issue of renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/SSANU agreement is not only long overdue but has become necessary that the exercise be concluded. NEC-in-session agreed that now that ministers have been appointed, the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, should hit the ground running as directed by the president.
“This will go a long way in addressing all industrial disharmony between the government and university-based unions. NEC also demands that the government should immediately reconstitute the renegotiation committee with broad membership from amongst experienced university administrators with a marching order to complete the assignment within a reasonable time.
“The implementation of the reviewed salary should be made in such a way that it is for the university system and not for a class of university or a group of universities.”
SSANU also frown at what it considered an attempt to stop state universities’ participation in nationwide industrial actions. The trade union said it feels agitated by the report of the ad-hoc committee of Pro-Chancellors of state-owned universities, which, among other things, recommended that state universities should not participate in nationwide industrial actions.
It said, “NEC wishes to reiterate that SSANU at all levels ranging from national to branches is one indivisible entity. NEC therefore calls on visitors to the state universities (who are the state governors) and Pro- Chancellors of all state universities to urgently jettison that clause and in their best interest expunge it because SSANU will stop at nothing to resist any attempt to dismember the union since this runs contrary to freedom of association as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and labour laws.
“NEC-in-session observed with serious concerns the dissolution of university Governing Councils who were yet to complete their tenure. The absence of Governing Councils in our universities has completely stampeded progress and development both in terms of policy and staff development. However even while the university Governing Councils were operational, their powers and functions were usurped by the Office of Head of Service of the Federation.
“NEC disapproves of this unethical practice which contradicts best global practices. NEC therefore calls on government to stop this ugly trend and ensure that university Governing Councils exercises their full autonomy which includes recruitments, promotions and infrastructural development.”
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