The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has threatened to embark on a strike over delay in the payment of their new minimum wage and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
The National Public Relations Officer, Mr. Salaam Abdussobur in a statement said while workers in other sectors were already enjoying the new wage, the federal government has abandoned university workers.
“We note that the negotiations over the National Minimum wage were quite protracted and spanning over a period of two years, with the conclusion of the negotiations, it was assumed that the implementation would be seamless and require no further agitations to ensure it is actualized across all the sectors of employees,” he said.
“Unfortunately, however, months after the agreements were concluded and dusted, it seems the workers in the university system have been forgotten in the scheme of things, while workers in other sectors have started enjoying the increment in the salaries, the university system has not,” he read.
“Sadly, prices of goods and services immediately shot up as soon as the minimum wage was implemented in those sectors, and with the university sector still operating on the old minimum wage, thereby causing financial hardships and difficulties for our members,” he concluded.
SSANU lamented that the government is yet to give explanation regarding in payment.
The statement further stated, “We hereby draw the attention of the Federal Government and all relevant stakeholders to this delay and demand the implementation of the new wage regime and payment of its arrears without further delay, we have been patient enough and have shown great understanding with government on many of its policies. This understanding and patience should however not be at the expense or to the detriment of our welfare and incomes.”
“With the situation of things, it is becoming clearer to us that except an industrial action is undertaken, the new National Minimum Wage may never be implemented in the university system, we hereby sound a note of warning to ensure the immediate payment of the minimum wage in order to guarantee industrial peace in the university system,” it concluded.