By TINA TIMOTHY

The Workers and Youths Solidarity Network (WYSN) has accused the federal government of deliberately neglecting the non-academic workers while paying part of the outstanding salaries of the academic staff of universities, describing it as ‘irresponsive” and “another divide-and-rule tactic of the Tinubu-led FG.”

WYSN’s National Organizer, Dimeji Macaulay, in a statement on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, said the group consequently supports the proposed 7-day nationwide strike action of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

“The Workers and Youths Solidarity Network (WYSN) backs the 7-day nationwide strike action of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). This protest is a result of the irresponsiveness of the Tinubu-led Federal Government who, after the payment of 4/7 of the withheld salaries of the Academic workers, refused to make commitments for the non-academic workers.

“We agree that this is a deliberate neglect of the non-academic workers in the Universities and could be seen as another divide-and-rule tactic of the Tinubu-led FG. Hence, we support, in totality, the 7-day industrial action and call on the non-academic workers to start mobilizing for a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike backed up with protest actions if the deliberate neglect continues,” Macaulay wrote.

WYSN expressed worry that following the “no–work–no–pay policy of the former President Buhari in 2022, which led to 7 and a half months without pay for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and 5 months without pay for NASU and SSANU members, the present government has agreed to tentatively pay members of the Academic Staff union of Universities 4 months’ salary arrears while “other unions were left behind,” adding “that a genuine government that is ready to correct the mistakes of her predecessor will make commitments across all the unions affected by the Buhari’s administration anti-workers policy.”

The statement continued: ”We can recall that the Buhari government met the genuine demands of both academic and non-academic workers with an inhumane no–work–no–pay policy in 2022. These unions were demanding better living conditions for their members and improved funding of public education. The no–work–no–pay policy of the government resulted in 7 and a half months without pay for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and 5 months without pay for NASU and SSANU members.

“While we acknowledge that the Tinubu-led FG has bowed to pressure and agreed to tentatively pay ASUU members 4 months’ salary arrears, the fact that the other unions were left behind is a surprise to us at WYSN and must be resisted.We are aware of the statement of the ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, that mechanisms of negotiation of the unions are different, yet; we believe that a genuine government that is ready to correct the mistakes of her predecessor will make commitments across all the unions affected by the Buhari’s administration anti-workers policy.”

WYSN while commending the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for organizing the strike action, called on the federal government to meet the demands of NASU and SSANU and also called on ASUU “not to segregate themselves from the struggle but see it as an opportunity to raise, once again, the fundamental issues facing the Nigerian educational sector, particularly the students’ loan policy,” adding that rather than give students’ loan that could “lure innocent Nigerian youths into an endless pit of debt even before their employability period students,” study grants is a better option.

“To this extent, we salute the tenacity of the NASU and SSANU members, organized under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) to reject this impunity. We call on the Tinubu-led federal government to immediately accede to the demands of these unions and make commitments to avoid disruptions to the academic calendars.We also call on the ASUU not to segregate themselves from the struggle but see it as an opportunity to raise, once again, the fundamental issues facing the Nigerian educational sector, particularly the students’ loan policy.

“As we have clearly stated from the onset, the students’ loan policy is not an ideal solution to the crisis in the education sector and will only lure innocent Nigerian youths into an endless pit of debt even before their employability period. The unions should instead demand study grants, instead of students’ loans,” WYSN stated.

Consequently, the group called for “the total reversal of all hiked fees, proper funding of the education sector and an end to education commercialization,” adding that “the emergence of Tinubu as the president will not resolve any of the fundamental problems facing the workers and youths of the country.”

“Similarly, the struggle should be linked to the total reversal of all hiked fees, proper funding of the education sector and an end to education commercialization.

“We also read about the press statement issued by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in solidarity with the NASU and SSANU. The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, stated that “there had been no credible reason or explanation for withholding those salaries in the first place” and called for more solidarity from civil society and other to be able to force the government to meet the demands of the two unions.”

“It is very clear that the emergence of Tinubu as the president will not resolve any of the fundamental problems facing the workers and youths of the country. As we have seen in the past few months, things have gone from baq a pivotal role to play. We of WYSN are ready to join and participate fully in the emergence of a genuine workers’ alternative party that will utilize our collective natural resources to fund education and other sectors,” WYSN stated.