From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) chapters of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have threatened to shut down the university over the Federal Government proposed sharing formula of Earned Allowance and non-payment of arrears of new minimum wage.
The two non-teaching staff unions of public universities had after a meeting of their National Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Monday directed all their branch members to embark on a 3-day nationwide protest over a perceived plan to shortchange them with the sharing formula of Earned Allowance and other contentious issues.
The protesting staff on Thursday in UNN in a peaceful protect marched along major roads inside the campus singing solidarity songs and bearing placards with various inscriptions such as: “FG pay us our overdue minimum wage arrears now!, “We totally reject the proposed skewed sharing formula of Earned Allowances, “We reject the present sharing formula between teaching and non-teaching staff,” among others.
Addressing the media shortly after the protest, Mr Paul Eruah, Chairman of the JAC UNN chapter, said that the protest was a response to the Federal Government’s proposed formula to share the next tranche of N22.127 billion Earned Allowance at the rate of 75 per cent to academic and 25 per cent to non-teaching staff.
‘The 3-day protest was as a result of directives from the national leadership of the two unions to all their branches nationwide to embark on 3-days protest.
‘We disagreed with the provocative sharing formula to be used for sharing the next money to be released for Earned Allowance.
‘Our position is that the money should be shared 50-50, if not we going to shut down the University with industrial action.
‘We are disappointed with the Federal Government refused to pay the arrears of the minimum wages consequential adjustment as agreed with the unions,’ he said.
Eruah added that the unions would be waiting for the next directive from the JAC after the 3-day protest, even as he advised all non-teaching staff to register with the unions so as to join the struggle and benefit from their entitlements.
Mr Clifford Amoke, Chairman NASU UNN, Linus Akata, treasurer SSANU UNN and other executive members of the two unions participated in the protest.
