The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has announced that it will commence a three-day warning strike on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
NAAT stated that the action was necessary following the non-payment of four months’ withheld salaries as instructed by President Bola Tinubu.
Naija News understands that President Tinubu had instructed in October 2023 that the university workers, who had engaged in a prolonged strike in 2022 due to the previous government’s failure to address their grievances, should be compensated for four months.
During the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari the “No work, no pay” policy was implemented, resulting in the university workers not receiving salaries for the duration of their strike.
While members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities have received payment for the four months as per the president’s directive, NAAT members are still awaiting their salaries.
In a statement signed and released on Monday by NAAT’s president, Ibeji Nwokoma, the union clarified that the decision to initiate the warning strike was approved 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.”
Nwokoma urged the Federal Government to do the needful or be held responsible for any disruption of academic activities in universities.