The Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have formally strengthened their joint negotiating front under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), following the emergence of a circular proposing a 30 per cent salary increase for non-teaching staff.
The two unions, which had previously engaged the Federal Government through separate negotiation channels on aspects of their demands, said the latest development has compelled them to present a unified position as discussions on remuneration and allowances continue.
In a joint letter dated April 16, 2026, and addressed to the Minister of Education through the Federal Ministry of Education, the unions said the circulating document purporting to approve a 30 per cent increase in the consolidated salary structure of non-teaching staff was not part of any concluded negotiation.
The unions stated that the ongoing renegotiation process is still being handled by the Federal Government’s Expanded Tertiary Institutions Negotiation Committee led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, stressing that no agreement had been reached to justify any unilateral salary adjustment.
They described the development as inconsistent with the principles of collective bargaining, insisting that both unions must be fully carried along in any final decision affecting their members.
The JAC also recalled that it had earlier issued a notice of ultimatum dated March 27, 2026, demanding the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, giving the Federal Government up to April 30, 2026, to finalize and sign the agreement.
It warned that failure to meet the deadline could lead to a breakdown of industrial peace across universities and inter-university centres nationwide from May 1, 2026.
The letter was jointly signed by NASU General Secretary, Prince Peters A. Adeyemi, and SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed H. Ibrahim.
The development marks a more coordinated stance by both unions under JAC as negotiations with the Federal Government continue over salary structure and allowances for non-teaching university staff.
