The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called for the immediate payment of the withheld salaries of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU.
Joe Ajaero, NLC President urged the Federal Government to pay the four months outstanding salaries to avoid drift in the academic sector.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the NLC President said at a time confidence was being restored to the public universities, the worst thing the government could do is to engineer another strike.
It will be recalled that the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of NASU and SSANU had issued a circular to its members to proceed on seven-day warning strike from 18th of March over non-payment of the salaries as approved by President Bola Tinubu.
The NLC President stressed that the effects of the strike on the parties would be unacceptably high, especially for students and parents.
He, therefore, urged the government to expeditiously pay up the outstandings salaries
Read Statement Below:
Press Statement
(18/03/2023)
ARREST THIS DRIFT NOW
We join our affiliate unions, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational (NASU) and Associated Institutions and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) in demanding for the immediate payment of the withheld salaries of their members.
There has been no credible reason or explanation for withholding those salaries in the first place.
We recall this singular act plunged the members into indescribable hardship.
Much worse, it defies logic to try to subject members of these unions to discriminatory treatment.
By so doing government is clearly courting avoidable industrial dispute.
At a time confidence is being restored to the public universities the least government could do is not engineer another strike.
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 government to expeditiously pay up the outstandings.
We advise government to not take for granted the maturity of these unions.
Comrade Joe Ajaero
President
I think there are saboteurs in PBAT government.