Universities To Go On Strike Over Unpaid Salaries

University workers have begun moves to go on strike over non-implementation of the new national minimum wage law by their employers.

This happened against a presidential directive that the minimum wage law would be implemented by December 31, 2019.

A source close to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) told The Nation that the university workers were not happy that they were yet to enjoy the minimum wage when other workers had been enjoying it.

The source said: “Staff of all Federal universities across the country are yet to receive the new minimum wage. We are aware that other workers have been paid.”

Asked if it was only ASUU members that had not been paid, the source said none of the universities’ workers had been paid the minimum wage.

A lecturer at a Federal university told The Nation that he did not know why lecturers had not been paid the minimum wage.

“We have not been paid and we don’t know why. If they say it is because of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), what about other university workers who have enrolled into the scheme already? Why have they not been paid?

“We are holding meetings regarding the issue and discussing the next step to take. Tell them to pay us our minimum wage because if we go on strike again now, Nigerians will be shouting.”

The lecturer said ASUU may be forced to take a stand on non-payment of the new wage. ASUU President Prof. Biodun Ogunyumi could not be reached for his comment.

He did not answer calls put through to his mobile phone last night. But his counterpart in the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Samson Ugokwe, confirmed the development.

He said it was due to enrolment of university workers into the IPPIS scheme.

Credit: The Nation