The National Association of Academic Technologists, or NAAT, announced on Wednesday that it would go on a three-day warning strike in protest of President Bola Tinubu’s directive that they pay back four months’ worth of salary that have been withheld.
In October 2023, the President issued an order to pay the university employees who had gone on a protracted strike in 2022 due to the then-government’s failure to resolve their grievances.
The “No work, no pay” policy was implemented by the former administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, meaning that university employees would not get their salary during their strike.
As instructed by the president, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities have received their four-month salary; nevertheless, members of NAAT are still to be compensated.
The National Executive Council emergency virtual meeting authorized the decision to go on a three-day warning strike, according to a statement released by NAAT and signed by its president, Ibeji Nwokoma.
“This will allow the union to emphasize its demand that the President’s approved amount of the NAAT members’ withholding salaries be paid.
“Unfortunate events that resulted in the payment of four months’ worth of salaries that had been withheld from members of a sister union and the exclusion of ΛT members made this inevitable.
“The minister may want to take note of the fact that, in spite of his declaration and guarantees during the high-level stakeholders’ meeting that took place on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at the Idris Abdulkadir Auditorium, NUC Secretariat.
The union’s letter of appeal for equity, fairness, and justice dated February 16, 2024, for which the minister’s office did not deem it necessary to either respond or acknowledge, will be paid in full, as the hovernment has not yet fulfilled its promises.
As a result, Nwokoma demanded that the Federal Government take immediate action or face consequences for interfering with university academic programs.
