The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has announced the suspension of its indefinite strike.
The suspension will be effective from Tuesday, November 5.
This decision comes after the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation confirmed that payments to union members had commenced, with many confirming receipt.
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The strike began on Monday, following the government’s failure to pay four months’ withheld salaries from 2022.
Prior to the suspension, the outgoing Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, and the Ministry’s permanent secretary, Nasir Gwarzo, met with union leaders on Thursday.
However, the meeting ended in a deadlock, as the unions insisted on receiving the withheld salaries before suspending the strike.
READ ALSO: Unpaid Salaries: “Indefinite Strike Won’t Be Called Off Until We Receive Alerts” – SSANU, NASU
According to a joint Sunday statement by SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, the decision to suspend the strike followed commitments secured after engagements with the Ministers of Education and Finance.
According to the latest update, the government has committed to paying two of the four months’ salaries, with the first payment made at the end of October and the second at the end of November.
The statement reads, “In view of the level of commitment exhibited by the new minister and the leadership of the Department of State Service, the leadership of JAC, after several contacts and other patriotic consideration, hereby directs that the ongoing indefinite strike be suspended for one-month effective Tuesday 5th November 2024.”
The unions also reiterated that discussions on the remaining two months’ salaries, the N50 billion Earned Allowances, Arrears of 25/35 percent, and the wage award are ongoing.
The strike suspension is a temporary reprieve for approximately 2.1 million students across various institutions, who were affected by the strike.
