FG courting dispute over SSANU, NASU withheld salaries
The Nigerian Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero has warned that the federal government might witness an “avoidable industrial dispute” for withholding for salaries of members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU.
The two unions had embarked on a strike for eight months in 2022, predating the incumbent administration.
The unions are insisting that the government should pay the salaries of its members for the period of the strike.
On Monday, the aggrieved unions began a strike.
NLC’s president Ajaero weighed in on the crisis, issuing a statement.
According to him, the unions are entitled to be paid the disputed salaries, as the government did the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, after it embarked on a similar action.
“It defies logic to try to subject members of these unions to discriminatory treatment. By so doing government is courting avoidable industrial disputes,” Ajaero stated.
He added that public universities cannot afford another strike action.
“The toll on all the parties will be unacceptably high, especially for students and parents who bear the burden of movement on our dangerous roads.
“In light of this, we urge the government to expeditiously pay up the outstanding. We advise the government to not take for granted the maturity of these unions,” the statement added.
