Varsity workers fix August 6 for protest over withheld salaries
Non-teaching workers in the Nigerian universities under the aegis of National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) on Monday fixed August 6 to commence a nationwide protest over the three-and-a-half-month withheld salaries. The protest, according to the leadership of the association, will be joined with a nationwide strike to press home union members’ demands on the […]
Non-teaching workers in the Nigerian universities under the aegis of National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) on Monday fixed August 6 to commence a nationwide protest over the three-and-a-half-month withheld salaries.
The protest, according to the leadership of the association, will be joined with a nationwide strike to press home union members’ demands on the federal government’s refusal to implement the consequential adjustment for the minimum wage, among many other pending issues.
Daily Trust reports that NAAT had in June issued a 21-day ultimatum to the federal government over unresolved issues regarding the welfare of its members and a conducive environment for academic activities. The ultimatum expired on July 4 without any action from the government.
Speaking to journalists on the sideline of its 59th National Executive Council, NAAT President, Ibeji Nwokoma, frowned at the alleged lukewarm attitude of the government towards addressing its demands after extensive deliberations on the highlighted issues.
Nwokoma said the issues have continually affected members of the union, the academic environment and the nation at large, adding that the association was still open to dialogue with the government before the August 6 deadline.
He said among other contentious issues provoking the association are the sharing formula of the recently disbursed N50 billion where it was alleged that the ASUU was awarded 80 percent of the total sum, while the three non-teaching unions – NAAT, SSANU and NASU were given 20 percent to share.
Nwokoma said, “The NEC-in-session frowned at the modalities used by the Federal Government in the sharing formula and disbursement of the ₦50bn Earned Allowances (EA) and Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) arrears.”
Other unresolved issues, according to him, include the mainstreaming of allowances for NAAT members, like the field trip, student/technologist staff ratio supplementation, students’ work experience programme, SWEP, and call duty allowances.
He added, “Other demands are completion of the renegotiation of the FGN/NAAT 2009 Agreement, implementation of the consequential adjustment of the new national minimum wage, payment of the three and a half months of withheld salaries, payment of arrears of a seven-month of occupational hazard allowance and release of third-party deductions for the two months of withheld salaries that were paid.
He explained that if the government failed to act swiftly, its branches would commence the first nationwide protest on August 6, the second nationwide protest on August 13 and a national protest in Abuja on August 20.
“Further to this, all NAAT branches have been directed to commence the sensitization and mobilization of members in preparation for the actions scheduled for August 2025.
“However, NAAT remains committed to dialogue and constructive engagement with relevant stakeholders to resolve our grievances and to improve the welfare of our members.
“Finally, NAAT calls on the general public, traditional and religious leaders, members of the National Assembly, and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and prevail upon the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to do the needful in order to sustain the relative peace currently being enjoyed on our university campuses.”