The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has reaffirmed its readiness to embark on industrial action from April 30 if the Federal Government fails to conclude long-standing negotiations on staff welfare and entitlements.

The union’s position comes despite the Federal Government’s approval of a 30 per cent salary increase for non-academic staff in federal tertiary institutions, a move already rejected by the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union, which insists the decision did not emerge from any concluded agreement.

Speaking during a meeting held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), on Wednesday, the branch chairman, Felix Adumbi, maintained that the union would not shift its deadline unless the renegotiation process is finalised and formalised.

He explained that discussions with the government began in 2022 and were still ongoing when the circular announcing the salary increment was issued, describing it as premature and unacceptable.

Adumbi said the union had earlier issued an ultimatum from April 1 to April 30 at its 54th National Executive Council meeting held at Ekiti State University in March, stressing that the timeline remains binding.

“We have been on this renegotiation for years, and what we expect now is for the government to conclude it urgently so that there can be a mutually agreed framework,” he said.

He further criticised the circular, noting that it came as a surprise and did not reflect any agreement reached during negotiations.

“That circular is not a product of any concluded renegotiation. Discussions were still ongoing, and we have rejected it in its entirety,” he added.

The union warned that failure by the government to return to the negotiating table and conclude the process before the deadline would prompt it to seek further directives from its national leadership, a move that could trigger a nationwide strike. (Daily Trust)