THE Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has announced the suspension of the ongoing nationwide indefinite strike.
The suspension comes a day after the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) said payments to members of the unions “had commenced and many have confirmed receipt.”
JAC disclosed this in a strike update sent to the chairpersons of branches across the country on Sunday.
Both unions had last Sunday announced an indefinite strike that began on Monday after the government failed to pay the union’s four months withheld salaries from 2022.
Both unions had on Sunday announced an indefinite strike that began on Monday after the government failed to pay the union’s four months withheld salaries from 2022.
In an attempt to end the strike, the outgoing Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, and the ministry’s permanent secretary, Nasir Gwarzo, met with the leadership of the unions on Thursday. But the meeting ended in a deadlock, according to the unions, as they refused to shift ground. They insisted that the strike would only be suspended after their members received the withheld salaries.
Strike suspended
A Sunday statement jointly signed by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi said the decision to suspend the strike followed commitments secured after engagements with the Ministers of Education and Finance.
The unions noted that the government has committed to the payment of two of the four months’ salaries.
According to the statement, payment for the first month would be made at the end of October while the second month would be paid at the end of November.
The unions, therefore, suspended the strike for a month, starting from Tuesday, 5 November, it said
Eighteen-Eleven Media