The meeting between the Federal Government and the unions representing non-teaching staff in universities ended without a deal on Thursday.
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Education, was led by Dr. Yusuf Sununu, former Minister of State for Education, with the aim of resolving the ongoing strike by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
Beyond Boders recalls that the unions began their strike on Monday, protesting the non-payment of four months’ salaries. Since the strike began, activities in many universities across Nigeria have stopped.
At the meeting, which started at 11 a.m., officials, including the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Nasir Gwarzo, discussed the union’s demands.
However, according to SSANU’s National President, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, the Federal Government did not give a clear date for when the salaries would be paid.
Vice-President of SSANU, Abdussobur Salaam, explained that they are tired of promises.
“We were simply given assurance that the money will be paid, but this is not the first time that assurance will be given, so we can’t just rely on assurances. Assurances aren’t enough to call off the strike,” Salaam said.
The meeting’s chair, Dr. Sununu, assured reporters that the government was working on a comprehensive plan to resolve the issues and create a stable education system.
“We informed the Federal Government that if it does not pay us, we will not resume work,” he said.
In a statement released on Sunday, SSANU President Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi reminded the government that their ultimatum on unpaid salaries expired at midnight on October 27, 2024.
The unions demand not only the overdue salaries, but also better pay, earned allowances, and the full implementation of their 2009 agreement with the government.
The Ministry of Labour previously enforced a “No Work, No Pay” rule when the university unions went on a long strike in 2022. Now, the unions have given a seven-day notice, urging the government to act on their demands.
