Non-Teaching Staff Unions Resume Talks With FG After Strike Suspension

The Joint Action Committee of non-teaching staff unions in Nigerian universities has resumed talks with the Federal Government following the suspension of its indefinite strike.

The committee is made up of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions.

The unions embarked on an indefinite strike on April 30 over delays in the renegotiation of agreements with the Federal Government.

The industrial action was, however, suspended on May 11 after assurances from the Federal Government Expanded Tertiary Institutions Renegotiation Committee.

Among the key demands of the unions are the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, improved welfare packages, payment of outstanding allowances and the rejection of what they described as unilateral salary proposals by the government.

Speaking in a telephone interview on Monday, the national president of SSANU and chairman of JAC, Mohammed Ibrahim, confirmed that negotiations had resumed at the headquarters of the National Universities Commission in Abuja.

“We have resumed discussions today and expect to conclude the process, including the signing of agreements, within two weeks.

“We agreed that the two-week timeline begins from the day the strike was suspended,” he said.

Ibrahim disclosed that the unions were pushing for a minimum salary increase of 40 per cent.

“We rejected the government’s 30 per cent offer, and it has been withdrawn. Our demand remains a minimum of 40 per cent,” he said.

According to him, representatives of the Federal Government requested additional time to reassess salary figures, benchmarks and other related issues before presenting a new proposal.

“They need to review the figures, yardsticks and other issues. We told them to do whatever they need to do, but not to come back with less than 40 per cent,” he said.

He expressed confidence that the renegotiation process would be concluded within the agreed two-week period.

The SSANU president, however, warned that the unions could resume the suspended strike if negotiations failed to produce concrete outcomes within the timeframe.

“The mandate from our members is clear, if nothing is concluded after two weeks, the strike will resume,” he said.