Academic activities will be paralysed in the universities across the Federation from today as the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Educational Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), have issued a directive to all their members to stay away from their duty posts from Monday.
The unions, under the Joint Action Committee (JAC ) of NASU and SSANU, also warned their branches that the strike is “total and comprehensive” and that “no form of concession or internal arrangement should be made with management,” during the strike.
The directive was dated 16th August 2019 and signed by the General Secretary of NASU, Comr Peters Adeyemi and the National President of SSANU, Comr Samson Ugwoke.
The directive which was addressed to all branch chairmen, Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU, also warned that any defaulting branch would be sanctioned.
They were directed to fully mobilize their members and ensure full compliance, as the leadership would not hesitate to sanction any defaulting branch.
In the first phase, the directive said the strike will last for five days, as a result of government failure to attend to their demands after the expiration of the 14-day ultimate earlier issued to the government. The Ultimatum ended on Sunday.
The Ultimatum read: “Following the expiration of the 14 day ultimatum given to the Government and its failure to show firm commitment towards resolving the following issues: Payment of Earned Allowances; University Staff Schools matter; Renegotiation of 2009 Agreements; you are hereby directed to embark on a five (5) day strike effective from Monday, 19th to Friday, 23rd August 2019.
“Be informed that the strike is total and comprehensive for the five days. No form of concession or internal arrangement should be made with management while all members must be directed to stay away from their duty posts.
“Kindly recall the decision of the National Executive Councils of the two unions to the effect that Branches that default in compliance should be sanctioned.
“The National leadership shall not hesitate in this regard. You are hereby directed to fully mobilize your members and ensure full compliance.”
The President of SSANU and Chairman of Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, has earlier told Nigerian Tribune that the strike will start on Monday.
Ugwoke pointed out that all their members have already been mobilized, while all the non-teaching staff in the university system across the federation have been directed to stay at home.
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“Yes! The strike will start on Monday, and it will be comprehensive and total. It will last for five days, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. To ensure its success, we have already mobilized all our members and they have been directed to stay away from work from Monday.” Ugwoke had told Nigerian Tribune in a chat.
The unions, under the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU, had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government on Monday 5th August, to meet their demands or face a nationwide strike.
The strike, therefore, becomes imperative as the government has failed to respond to their demands, the unions said.
In a circular issued after the JAC meeting penultimate Thursday and sent to all their branches, the unions warned that at the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum, they would be left with no other option than withdrawing their services and shutting down the universities; if the government failed to address all their grievances.
Titled: “Notice of Industrial Action,” the circular which was signed by Ugwoke and the General Secretary of NASU, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, lamented the non-challant attitude of the Federal Government towards addressing their grievances and obeying court judgment.
The circular read: “That a 14-day ultimatum of industrial action be given to the Federal Government of Nigeria to address the pending issues with effect from Monday, 5th August 2019. During the period of the ultimatum, all branches are hereby directed to carry out peaceful protest on Tuesday, 6th August 2019 and Thursday, 15th August 2019 respectively.
“At the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum, Sunday 18th August 2019, without any positive response from the Federal Government of Nigeria, members shall proceed on a 5-day warning strike in all branches from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd August 2019, inclusive.
“You are therefore directed to properly mobilize our members for this action. All defaulting branches shall be sanctioned accordingly.”
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