By Gabriel Dike
Various branches of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) in universities and inter-university centre across the country have been directed to conduct a referendum on whether to embark on a nationwide indefinite strike or not.
National leadership of the unions under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) gave the directive to branch chairmen in a circular signed by NASU President, Dr. Makolo Hassan and SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim.
Members of the non-teaching staff in the universities last week embarked on a nationwide three days protest against the non implementation of their demands by the Federal Government.
The circular said JAC met on January 14 to appraise the three-day nationwide protest and observed the need for members to take ownership of decisions in respect of the way forward.
“Branch chairmen of NASU and SSANU are hereby directed to convene joint congresses simultaneously on Tuesday January 19, 2021 to take a resolution on the possible commencement of an indefinite and total national strike in respect of on non-implementation of the issues contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed and agreed with the unions by the Federal Government on 20th October, 2020.
“The resolution of these congresses are to be forwarded to the national secretariat of the respective unions via email, while a meeting of the leadership of the national JAC shall be convened on Thursday, January 28 to collate and take decision on the branch resolutions which shall be communicated to the branches subsequently.”