Non-Academic Varsity Workers in Nigeria Begin Seven-Day Warning Strike

Lecturers demonstrating in southeast Nigeria against the cuts in higher education. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (AASU) has been striking in the region since July 2010., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Non-academic varsity workers begin seven-day warning strike

Monday, 03 October 2011 00:00
From Collins Olayinka, Abuja News
Nigerian Guardian

NON-TEACHING workers in the universities have declared a seven-day warning strike beginning from today to compel the Federal Government to implement an agreement they claimed was signed with them in 2009.

The action came as the academic workers in the universities ended their own warning strike at the weekend.

The striking unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Non- Academic Staff Union of Universities, Educational and Research Institutions (NASU).

National President of SSANU, Samson Ugwoke, said in Abuja yesterday that the seven days warning strike will go ahead despite the holiday declared by the Federal Government to mark Nigeria’s 51st Independence anniversary.

He said: “SSANU has concluded arrangements for effective seven-day warning strike starting on Monday, 3rd October (today), 2011. The strike, which is expected to be total under the auspices of Joint Action Committee (JAC) constituted by SSANU, NASU and NAAT, is aimed at forcing the Federal Government to fully implement the 2009 agreement it willingly signed with the unions. “Our unions have lost a great number of her members as a result of government’s refusal to honour the agreement. The agreement clearly states that from January 1, 2010 our members should retire at 65 years, but government has continued to retire them on the old order of 60 years or 35 years in service.

“Also issues such as earned allowances (field trip/teaching practice/industrial supervision allowances, hazard allowances, deanship of student affairs, among others, have not been addressed almost two years after agreements were consummated. Recall that the agreement spanned through two years costing our unions colossal sums of money. That shows that government is not sincere and serious with us from the onset.” .

The SSANU chief added that the non-academic workers have been mobilised for effective industrial action with all the relevant organs’ meetings held.

His words: “We have fully mobilised our members all over the country ready for the commencement of the warning strike. We have successfully held our zonal and branches meetings and also congresses during which members were well informed and directed to fully comply and ensure success of the strike.

All branches have received letters of authority to proceed on strike from Monday, 3rd October, 2011. University authorities across the country have been served with necessary documents in respect of the strike.