NASU members to embark on strike after COVID-19 pandemic holiday

Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) will embark on a 14-day warning strike immediately after they resume work from the COVID-19 pandemic holiday, according to the union General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi.

NASU members include non-academic staff in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. The strike is to protest against the short- payment of members’ salaries through the Federal Government’s newly adopted Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

The union said it gave the notice of strike  due to salary disputes such as non-payment of salaries to some workers, short- payment of salaries to others and non-deduction of check-off dues.

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The union in a statement said that it took the option of strike because the Federal Government had refused to effect appropriate corrections of all the anomalies observed by its members on the short- payment of salaries despite the assurances by government to do so.

The union had earlier sent a petition to the Ministry of Labour and Employment on the issue. It accused IPPIS of betraying the leadership of NASU and deceiving them to accept the IPPIS platform, adding that government was planning to do a three-month experiment with the IPPIS which it said had come out disastrously.

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Adeyemi said the union had filed official complaints to the Accountant General of the Federation and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige in a bid to resolve members’ complaints, adding that steps aimed at resolving the crisis had failed despite two meetings with the Director in charge of IPPIS, Olufehinti Olusegun.

“Regrettably, despite your assurances via a telephone discussion sometimes in early April, the officials of IPPIS have refused to effect appropriate corrections of all the anomalies observed by NASU members in the federal universities and intra-university centres, federal polytechnics and federal colleges of education up to this current moment, i.e. salaries paid to our members in February, March and April, 2020.”

Adeyemi said the union had conveyed the strike notice to its members through a letter with reference number NASU/CD/307/209. He added that the  union had invoked the Trade Dispute Act CAP 432, Trade Disputes (Essential Services) Act, CAP 433 of the of the law of the federation of Nigeria 1990 and Trade disputes (Amendment) Decree No 47 of 1992 otherwise called Form TD/3. He said that an indefinite strike would begin if no positive action is taken to remedy the situation.