The Federal Government has taken a significant step towards resolving the ongoing industrial dispute with the Non-Academic Staff Union of Federal Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU).
According to a press statement released on Saturday by Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, funds have been released to settle outstanding salaries owed to NASU members and pay benefits to retirees under the Nigerian Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme.
The development comes after NASU and SSANU embarked on an indefinite strike on Monday, protesting four months of withheld salaries. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the two unions had given the federal government a final three-week ultimatum to settle the outstanding salaries, which expired in September.
In the statement, Mokwa confirmed that payments to NASU members have commenced, with many already confirming receipt. “The Federal Government has released funds for payment of withheld salary of Non-Academic Staff Union of Federal Universities… Payments to the Non-Academic Staff of Federal Universities had commenced and many have confirmed receipt,” he said.
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The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation also reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerian workers and retirees. This move is expected to alleviate the suffering of the affected workers and retirees, who have been struggling to make ends meet due to the delayed payments.
The dispute between the federal government and NASU/SSANU began in 2022 when the unions went on strike over the government’s failure to honor a collective bargaining agreement. Although the government signed an elaborate agreement, including a non-victimization clause, it made selective payments to some unions, excluding NASU and SSANU.
The unions have been seeking payment of their four months withheld salary arrears, three months arrears of President Bola Tinubu’s wage award, and renegotiation of the 2009 agreements. They have also demanded adequate funding for universities and the payment of outstanding salaries to their members in state universities.
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