The Federal Government has invited the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) for a crucial meeting.
The meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday at the office of the Minister of Education, Prof. Mamman Tahir.
Naija News had reported that both SSANU and NASU threatened to shut down universities on Thursday, July 4, over the non-payment of the four months withheld salaries by the government.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising SSANU and NASU, had a few days ago issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to pay its members the four months withheld salaries.
Out of the four university-based unions that embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022, the federal government had paid the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), leaving behind the other three unions.
It could be recalled that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, then under Chris Ngige as minister, had invoked the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy, which caught up with the entire unions when they went on a protracted strike.
Despite the presidential directive to release their salaries, SSANU and NASU members have been ignored by those implementing the directive.
Shortly after assuming office as Minister of Education, Professor Mamman reiterated that all affected unions are to benefit from the payment.
However, the latest threat by SSANU and NASU seemed to have hit the right chord as the federal government summoned an emergency meeting scheduled to be held on Thursday by 1 pm on Thursday in a bid to avert the looming strike.
“The Minister of Education has called to meet with SSANU and NASU today, maybe to persuade us not to go on strike. We will honour the invitation. We are also going to meet with the Minister of State for Labour and Employment by 3 pm,” a source in the know reportedly told the Daily Post.
Reports also revealed that JAC was originally set to convene at 10 am on Thursday before proceeding to the other meeting.
The JAC intended to convene on July 4, following the two-week deadline, to assess the government’s reaction to their requests and announce a perpetual strike should the government persist in failing to pay their suspended wages.