Unpaid salaries: Ondo varsity’s NASU, SSANU suspend strike after five weeks

The non-teaching staff unions of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, have suspended their five-week-old strike over non-payment of salaries and unremitted pension deductions.

The unions include: Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) of the varsity respectively.

On April 7, the varsity’s joint action congress (JAC) had embarked on strike over non-implementation of its demands.

But in a communique on Sunday, the union’s executives said the suspension of the industrial action followed careful consideration of the offer by the institution’s management.

NAN reports that the communique was jointly signed by Temidayo Temola, Peter Akindehinde and Bobola Bamigbola on behalf of SSANU, NASU and NAAT respectively.

The unions’ executives thanked all members for their cooperation, doggedness and solidarity during the strike and urged them to resume work on Monday as agreed by JAC.

“The leadership of JAC (SSANU, NASU and NAAT), OAUSTECH branch appreciates all members for their cooperation and doggedness, we also appreciate all stakeholders for their intervention with a view to preventing further industrial action,” it read.

“This is to inform members that the agreement between the unions and the management have been documented and evidence of payment of seven months pension deductions arrears had also been laid before the union executives.

“In view of this, the strike embarked upon by the unions is hereby suspended until further notice and all members are to resume to their duty posts on Monday, May 10.”

The development comes about two weeks after the institution directed its students to resume for the 2019/2020 second semester lectures.

The directive had followed the decision of  the varsity’s Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to its earlier strike.