The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has declared its intention to commence a three-day warning strike starting on Wednesday due to the non-payment of four months’ withheld salaries, as directed by President Bola Tinubu.
President Tinubu had issued a directive in October 2023, instructing that university workers who participated in a prolonged strike in 2022, prompted by the then government’s failure to address their grievances, should be remunerated for four months.
During the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the administration implemented the “no work, no pay” policy, resulting in the withholding of salaries for university workers during the strike period.
While members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have received payment for the stipulated four months as per the president’s directive, NAAT members are yet to receive their salaries.
In a statement released to announce the impending three-day warning strike, signed by its president, Ibeji Nwokoma, NAAT clarified that the decision was reached during the union’s National Executive Council emergency virtual meeting.
The statement read, “We are constrained to notify you of the decisions of the National Executive Council of NAAT at the end of its emergency virtual meeting held on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
“It was resolved that a three-day warning strike and a nationwide protest on the first day commencing from Wednesday, March 20 to Friday, March 22, 2024, be embarked upon.
“This is to enable the union to press home its demand for the payment of withheld salaries of members of NAAT as approved by the Presidency.
“This became necessary due to the unfortunate circumstances leading to the payment of four months withheld salaries of members of a sister union and the exclusion of members of ΝΑΛΤ.
“The minister may wish to note that, in spite of his pronouncement and assurances at the high-level stakeholders meeting held at the Idris Abdulkadir Auditorium, NUC Secretariat on Thursday, January 11, 2024 that the payment of the withheld salaries will be across the board and the unions letter of appeal for equity, fairness, and justice dated February 16, 2024, for which the office of the minister did not deem it necessary to either respond or acknowledge and till date the government has failed to fulfil its promises.”
