The National Association of Academic Technologists at Federal University of Lafia has started a three-day warning strike along with others nationwide to protest against the Federal Government holding back five-and-a-half months of their salaries.
The old President Muhammadu Buhari's government made a rule that said if university workers went on strike, they wouldn't get paid for that time in 2022.
But in October 2023, President Bola Tinubu ordered that university workers who went on a long strike because the government didn't address their issues, should be paid four months of their withheld salaries.
At a peaceful protest in the university on Wednesday, the North Central Zonal Coordinator and Chairman of NAAT in FuLafia, Kenneth Onuh, said they're doing a three-day warning strike until Friday to show their anger at the government neglecting their issues.
He explained that while members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities got their four months' salary arrears as directed by the President, NAAT members haven't been paid despite asking the government.
The government only paid members of one union four months of withheld salaries and left out NAAT and two other unions, which the union sees as unfair. So, the union completely rejects this action.
The government's failure to respond or acknowledge the union's letters is a sign of bad faith in dealing with this injustice against the union members.
The union's strike action, which led to their salaries being withheld, is justified because of the government not fully keeping the terms of the FGN/NAAT 2009 Agreement signed by both parties,
The NAAT North Central Zonal Chairman urged the public, Nigerians, Civil society Organizations and stakeholders to push the government to pay the withheld salaries or hold the government responsible for any disruption of academic activities.
Our reporter notes that during the peaceful protest, members of the association sang songs of solidarity and held up placards with different messages like “Pay us our withheld salaries now,” “We are not slaves,” “we are not second class citizens,” “We are suffering,” “pay us our withheld salaries now,” among others.
