The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), University of Ilorin chapter have embarked on protests over living wages.
The unions claimed that their members could no longer afford food, transportation and other basic needs of life.
Speaking at the sidelines of the protest, Mr Zubair Ibrahim, the NASU chairman, of the Unilorin chapter said their agitation is over salary arrears owed members.
According to him, their members are hungry adding that their members cannot die in silence as they are finding it difficult to survive.
He said the Federal Government has failed to address the demands of the unions following their warning strike some months back.
Ibrahim stated that after series of appeal to the Federal Government to pay their withheld four month salaries , nothing was forthcoming.
He explained that NASU and SSANU had earlier giving the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to meet their demands and threatened to shut down campuses nationwide if they were not fulfilled.
Demands Payment of Withheld Salaries
The NASU chairman demanded the immediate payment of the four months withheld salaries to members and the 25 percent allowance.
He recalled that the unions had reached a mutual agreement that the Federal Government will pay N50bn earned allowance, adding that nothing is forthcoming.
Ibrahim also said members rejected that their payment should be through the IPPIS which they alleged is inconsistent in its methods.
The Chairman, SSANU, Unilorin chapter, Olushola Falowo advised that the government should cut back on the expenses of governance and factor in the workers who are getting impoverished daily.
Also speaking, the National Financial Secretary of SSAN, Akanbi Jimoh stated that the minimum wage for Nigerian workers is constitutional and should be of priority to the government.
“ASUU has been paid their withheld salaries and we appeal that our own should be paid too,” he said.
The Union held placards with inscriptions including “Pay our 4 months withheld salaries, We demand total freedom from IPPIS, and Release our N50bn earned allowance.”
