The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational & Associated Institutions (NASU), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) chapter, have joined their counterparts nationwide to stage a one-day protest over delay in 2009 negotiation.
The SSANU Chairman, Engr. Ademola Junaid, stated this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday at OAU campus in Ile-Ife.
The protesters marched on campus with display of placards conveying: "We worked, You withheld, release our wages"; "Enough is Enough, pay our two months salaries"; "No more empty promises, Action now" among others.
He said that the struggle of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU between 2021 and 2022 led to a signed agreement between the JAC and Federal Government on Aug. 20, 2022.
The SSANU Chairman lamented the suffering of the members, saying that Federal Government has not been sincere about the plight of SSANU/NASU in the sector.
Junaid maintained that the contentious issues are the alleged disbursement of N50 billion earned allowances; delay in renegotiation of the 2009 FGN and NASU/SSANU agreements among others.
Also, the SSANU Vice-Chairman, Mrs Stella Adebiyi, condemned Federal Government for playing pranks on them by making promises and failing on all their demands since 2009 till date despite all ultimatums given.
Adebiyi said that protest is the only avenue to show their grievances, as that's the only language that government understands, groaning about tiredness of their conditions.
She explained that Federal Government has failed to pay their two months salaries; non-payment of arrears of 25 and 35% salary arrears.
According to her, majority of their members have retired and are unable to get their third party deductions of the two months salaries, which is unfair.
The SSANU Vice-Chairman appealed to the Federal Government to harken to their voices and stop sabotaging their efforts by paying their promotion arrears for them to live meaningful lives.
In the same vein, Mr Dayo Oyediwura, the Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational & Associated Institutions (NASU), recalled that Federal Government signed a non-victimisation clause with them in 2022 after paying two months salary out of four.
Oyediwura said that Federal Government promised not to victimise anyone who participated in the strike then, but non-payment of their salaries is victimisation, which means that Federal Government has violated its pledge.
He explained that the two months paid did not include third party deductions, meaning that the two months salary paid to them was nothing to them.
Oyediwura appealed to the Federal Government to pay their third party deductions of the two months salaries and pay their promotion arrears since 2015/2019 till date as well.
According to him, the disbursement of N50 billion was unjust, as the money was paid to one union and FG promised to pay SSANU and NASU, but nothing till date.
"Treatment of non-teaching staff should come with dignity, for dignity of labour should be embraced, as they are not slaves.
"The conditions of service of University workers are the worst; they are hit financially, economically and psychologically," he lamented.
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