By JOAN NWAGWU

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) said they would proceed on strike over unresolved issues with the Federal Government immediately the universities reopen.

Mr Samson Ugwoke, the Chairman, Joint Action Committee (JAC) of both unions said this while addressing newsmen on the resolutions reached by the unions on Thursday in Abuja.

The resolutions were signed by the SSANU National President, Mr Samson Ugwoke, and the General Secretary of NASU, Mr Peters Adeyemi.

The unions’ grievances included the lingering Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) debacle, non-payment of arrears of earned allowance and minimum wage.

Others are the alleged lack of seriousness by the Babalakin Committee renegotiating the 2009 FG/NASU, SSANU agreements, neglect and poor funding of state universities, absence of visitation panels, among others.

According to Ugwoke, long after many other sectors had been paid the arreas of the national minimum wage and consequential adjustment, university workers are yet to be paid.

“We find this development totally unwholesome and very unhealthy.

“Given the time lag of over a year since it was implemented in other sectors, members of the public would agree that we have been patient enough in the university system,” he said.

He pointed out that in spite of the series of letters by the unions to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) Office since February, their members were still confronted with many challenges, including salary payment.

Ugwuoke also said that their members, whose monthly salaries were being paid in the second week of the following month in the past seven months, were suffering as a result of the difficulties posed by IPPIS.

He argued that as responsible unions, they had avoided the planned action, adding that the unhealthy situation had made it inevitable.

Ugwoke said: “We have again cried out to the general public with a view to inviting stakeholders and well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government to correct the anomaly of IPPIS.

"Pay us the arrears of both earned allowances and minimum wage, among others.”

He warned that the unions would have no option than to embark on strike effective from when universities would reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown.

“If by the time schools are asked to reopen and the needful is not done, it means hope is lost and the avoidable industrial conflict becomes inevitable.

“This is what we seek to avert, hence this outcry and call for government’s positive and timely response,” he said. (NAN)

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