The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of non-teaching staff unions in Nigerian universities has resumed negotiations with the Federal Government following the suspension of its recent indefinite strike.
The committee comprises the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
The unions had embarked on an indefinite strike on April 30 over delays in renegotiating agreements with the Federal Government, particularly concerning welfare, allowances, and salary adjustments.
The strike was suspended on May 11 after assurances from the Federal Government’s Expanded Tertiary Institutions Renegotiation Committee that talks would be expedited.
Speaking on Monday, SSANU National President and JAC Chairman, Mohammed Ibrahim, confirmed that discussions had resumed at the headquarters of the National Universities Commission in Abuja.
“We have resumed discussions today and expect to conclude the process, including the signing of agreements, within two weeks,” he said, adding that the timeline began from the date the strike was suspended.
The unions are demanding the conclusion of the long-delayed 2009 agreement renegotiation, improved welfare packages, and payment of allowances, while rejecting what they described as unilateral salary proposals.
Ibrahim disclosed that the unions had turned down an earlier 30% salary increase offer from the government.
“We rejected the government’s 30 per cent offer, and it has been withdrawn. Our demand remains a minimum of 40 per cent,” he said.
He explained that government negotiators requested additional time to review salary structures, benchmarks, and related financial details before presenting a revised offer.
According to him, the unions have insisted that any new proposal must not fall below the 40% threshold.
“We told them to do whatever they need to do, but not to come back with less than 40 per cent,” he added.
Ibrahim expressed cautious optimism that the negotiation process would be concluded within the agreed timeframe but warned that failure to reach an agreement could trigger another industrial action.
“The mandate from our members is clear — if nothing is concluded after two weeks, the strike will resume,” he said.
The ongoing talks are part of renewed efforts to resolve long-standing disputes between university-based non-teaching staff unions and the Federal Government over welfare and funding issues in the tertiary education sector.
