The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has urged the Federal government to embrace industrial harmony by implementing agreements reached with unions as workers celebrate May Day.
Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, the National President of the association, said this in a message to commemorate the 2023 Workers’ Day celebration on Monday in Abuja.
Ibrahim said that it was imperative for the federal government to embrace industrial harmony and desist from actions inimical to industrial peace.
According to him, International Workers’ Day is always the high point of the recognition of the role of the workers in building and sustaining the social and economic systems of the world.
“Despite a hostile environment in which we operate, we remain undeterred in our quest to contribute to the building of a great country.
“Our members have continued to report for duty in the most security challenging parts of Nigeria.
“It’s a pity that the federal government has remained adamant in the payment of withheld four months salaries during the nationwide strike in 2022,’’ he said.
He also noted that SSANU had complied with all industrial legal protocol before embarking on strike when government reneged on its part of the bargain.
The SSANU president said that the association had made all efforts for the government to see reason why they should be paid their rightful due, all to no avail.
“We are once again calling on the government to urgently pay the withheld salaries without further delay. The insensitivity of government to the plight of workers is provocative and unbearable.
“Since we suspended the strike last year, the issue of re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement has not yielded any result.
“It appears the federal government does not like the industrial harmony in the universities,‘’ he said.
Ibrahim also called on the federal government to without any delay ensure that the renegotiation was urgently concluded and implemented.
Besides, he said that on the 40 percent pay rise that it was unfathomable that while some workers had started receiving their payment, its members were yet to receive theirs.
“We call on government to ensure that our members receive their own payment as soon as possible, if not we can no longer guarantee industrial harmony in the universities.
“We should also place it on record that the N50 billion Earned Allowances which the government promised last year is yet to be paid,’’ he said.
He therefore called on the government to release it as quickly as possible as further delay would not be helpful to the system.
He added that the morale of university workers is dampened by the inability of government to create a conducive environment in the university system.
According to him, members of the union work under harsh condition, ‘yet they put in their best to ensure that our students don’t suffer. Government appears to be paying lip service to funding education’.
“It is very clear that government pays more attention to frivolous things and has neglected the workers that generate the wealth of the nation and mould the future of the young generation.
“We call on government to resolve all issues with university workers and also tackle the challenges facing the country.
“SSANU leadership under my watch is committed and determined to address your problems by ensuring that you get your rightful due from your employers.
“We will not relent in doing that. I once again congratulate you all as we celebrate this year’s May Day,’’ he said.
