CDWR SOLIDARIZES WITH SSANU, NASU AND ASUU’S STRUGGLE OVER UNPAID SALARIES OF MEMBERS

WE CALL ON THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY ALL BACKLOG SALARIES WITHOUT DELAY AND ADEQUATELY FUND EDUCATION

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) condemns the federal government’s refusal to pay University workers backlog of salaries owed to them. Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) members are owed four months’ salaries. Besides, the federal government also withholds three months salaries of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The continuous withholding of salaries forced SSANU and NASU members to embark on strike action and protest on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. CDWR solidarizes with the University workers in their struggle to win their demands. We appeal to SSANU, NASU and ASUU to struggle together and embark on joint mass actions until their demands are met.

The federal government unjustly withheld the salaries because the members of the staff unions embarked on strike demanding adequate funding of education and improved working conditions. The government is criminalizing protest and strike action, which is a democratic, constitutional and inalienable right of workers and Nigerians in general. Hence, this unjust withholding of salaries violates workers’ democratic rights and subjects workers to economic hardship.

The CDWR calls on the Tinubu-led government to immediately pay all backlog salaries. We also call on the federal and state governments to adequately fund education at all levels and subject schools to transparent and democratic control of workers and community representatives. We appeal to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to give active solidarity to the struggle and demands of the University workers.

Rufus Olusesan

National Chairperson

Chinedu Bosah

National Publicity Secretary

CDWR email: [email protected]