BY VICTOR  AHIUMA-YOUNG
ABUJA —  LEADERS of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU, have directed all non-teaching staff in the nation’s universities to commence a one-week warning strike Monday.

The industrial action by SSANU, NASU and NAAT is to force the Federal Government to implement the 2009 agreement reached with the three unions, the same reason the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, embarked on a week warning strike which ended last Friday.

President of SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, said in a statement, weekend, that there was no going back on the nationwide strike, as no significant efforts had been made by the government since the three unions in the varsity system gave the strike notice.

Ugwoke said:  “The government is not sincere and serious with us from the on-set but now our unions are ready for a showdown with government to ensure full implementation of the agreement that is due for renegotiation in less than one year time.

“There is no going back on the seven-day warning strike. SSANU has concluded arrangement for an effective seven-day warning strike from Monday 3rd October, 2011. ”

“The strike, which is expected to be total, under the auspices of Joint Action Committee (JAC), made up of The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and SSANU, is aimed at forcing the Federal Government to fully implement the 2009 agreement it willingly signed with the unions.

“Our unions have lost a great number of their members as a result of government’s refusal to honour the agreement. The agreement clearly states that our members should retire at 65 years but government has continued to retire them on the old order of 60 years and 35 years service.

“Also issues such as Earned Allowance, e.g. Field Trip/Teaching practice/Industrial Supervision Allowances, Deanship of Student Affairs e.t.c have not been addressed almost two years after the agreements were consummated.

“You recalled that the renegotiation that led to the agreement spanned through two years costing our unions colossal sums of money.

“That shows that the government is not sincere and serious with us from the on-set but now our unions are ready for a showdown with government to ensure full implementation of the agreement that is due for renegotiation in less than one year time.”