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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Economy & Trade

Pay rise: SSANU rejects FG’s 30% offer

From The Punch · (7h ago) English Mixed tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Nigerian Federal Government has approved a 30% salary increase for non-academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
  • This approval follows a similar 40% pay rise granted to academic staff and aims to address long-standing labor tensions.
  • However, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has rejected the offer, stating that negotiations are ongoing and threatening industrial action if an agreement is not reached by the end of April.

The Federal Government's recent approval of a 30% salary increase for non-academic staff in Nigerian tertiary institutions, as reported by The Punch, has been met with a mixed reaction. While the government frames this as a significant step towards improving welfare and boosting morale, the key unions involved are far from satisfied.

I write to convey the approval of His Excellency… for a thirty per cent (30%) increase in the consolidated salary structures of non-academic staff of federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

— Dr. Tunji AlausaMinister of Education, conveying the government's approval of the salary increment.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has publicly rejected the offer, asserting that the renegotiation process with the government is still very much active and has not concluded. This stance, communicated through a communiqué after a special National Executive Council meeting, signals a potential escalation of industrial action if the government does not engage further.

This approval underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing the welfare, motivation, and productivity of non-academic staff.

— Dr. Tunji AlausaMinister of Education, explaining the government's rationale behind the pay rise.

This development comes in the wake of a 40% pay rise previously granted to academic staff. The disparity and the ongoing nature of these negotiations highlight the complex labor dynamics within Nigeria's education sector. SSANU's concern over "misleading reports" suggesting a concluded agreement underscores the sensitivity of these matters and the importance of clear communication.

We look forward to your usual cooperation and support for the seamless and timely implementation of this approval.

— Dr. Tunji AlausaMinister of Education, urging relevant agencies for smooth execution.

From the perspective of SSANU and its members, this 30% offer is insufficient and does not represent a final resolution to their long-standing agitations over salary disparities and unpaid allowances. The threat of industrial action looms large, indicating that the government's move, while intended to ease tensions, may have inadvertently intensified them by failing to meet the union's expectations for a comprehensive agreement.

the renegotiation process with the Federal Government is still ongoing and has not been concluded.

— Muhammad IbrahimNational President of SSANU, stating that the salary negotiations are not finalized.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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