The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the non-teaching staff unions in the universities has urged the Federal Government to expedite actions on payment of four months withheld salaries of its members.
The unions, who protested on Tuesday, included the Non-Academic Union of Allied and Education Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) in Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufo-Alike Ikwo(AE-FUNAI) in Ebonyi.
They said there was need to upgrade infrastructure in the university as education was pertinent to nation building.
The protesters matched from the university campus to the main gate with placards with different inscriptions.
Some of the inscriptions read “FG, pay us our four months withheld salaries,’’ “FG, increase our salaries,” “There is need to prioritise university workers wellbeing,’’ ‘’ FG, stop playing with the minimum wage,’’ “We will not agree until our four months withheld salaries are paid.”
Mr Onyebuchi Mpamugo, Chairman of SSANU in the university, said that the immediate payment of the four months withheld salaries became necessary in order to avoid shutting down the nation’s universities.
Mpamugo said that the protest was to draw the attention of relevant stakeholders as well as that of the federal and state governments on the matter of welfare of workers in the universities.
“We gathered here today to tell the whole world about our plight; we are begging the Federal Government to kindly pay us our four months withheld salaries.
“We are calling on the Minister of Education and Minister of Labour and Employment to assist us because we will no longer tolerate industrial harmony,” he added.
Mr Chibuike Igwe, NASU Chairman, called for unity among members, expressing hope that “freedom comes only by struggle.”
He urged the Federal Government to urgently pay the four months withheld salaries of the unions to address the hardship being faced their members.
“Look at the economy in the country; food stuff skyrocketed; house rent as well children school fees.
“This is our money and Federal Government should pay us; we are going to converge on Abuja for national protest on July 18 and after that, our next action will total lockdown of universities,” Igwe said. (NAN).
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