Non-teaching workers threaten to shut down UNN over unpaid allowances

The non-teaching members of staff in University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), have threatened to shut down the institution on November 15, 2021 if their members are not paid arrears of minimum wage and earned allowances.

The UNN-JAC comprises Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

Chairman of the JAC UNN chapter, Mr. Paul Arua, while briefing newsmen in Nsukka shortly after a peaceful protest on major streets inside the campus, yesterday, said that a three-day nationwide protest that started on Wednesday was in compliance with a directive from the national executive of the union.

Some of the placards displayed by the protesters read: “FG pay us our overdue minimum wage arrears now,” “We totally reject the proposed skewed sharing formula of earned allowances,” “We reject the present sharing formula between reaching band non-teaching staff,” among others.

Erua said that the national leadership issued the directive on the warning protest after its meeting on November 8, 2021 over the inability of the Federal Government to pay members arrears of minimum wage and earned allowances after a series of promises.

“If, after November 15, our arrears of minimum wage and earned allowances are not paid by the government, JAC will embark on an indefinite strike that will paralyse both academic and administrative activities in UNN.”