NAAT ISSUES WARNING, THREATENS STRIKE OVER UNPAID SALARIES

The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has issued a two weeks notice to the federal government of Nigeria starting from 30th of October or they would embark on a nationwide protest against the five months of unpaid salaries and unmet agreements with the Federal Government.

NAAT has also scheduled a picket at the Ministry of Finance on November 14, citing the government’s failure to act on President Bola Tinubu’s directive regarding the payment of the withheld salaries.

With the two weeks deadline, the protest would begin at midnight on November 6, 2024, with all branches of the union across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education mobilised if their demands are not met.

Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, President of NAAT, made the announcement following a meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja.

During a media briefing in Abuja, Comrade Nwokoma outlined a series of longstanding demands, including the payment of five and a half months of withheld salaries and the full implementation of a 2009 agreement with NAAT.

He emphasised that the agreement includes essential provisions such as allowances for academic technologists, support for student training programs, and improvements in staff-to-student ratios.

The union also called on the government to allocate funds for upgrading university laboratories and to tackle the broader issues of underfunding and the proliferation of public universities.

It is important to note that the union had previously issued a three-week ultimatum on September 30, 2024, which lapsed on October 21.

Nwokoma reported that the ultimatum concluded without any response from government entities, including the Federal Ministries of Education and Labour and Employment.

The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) voiced its dissatisfaction regarding what it termed the government’s “insensitivity.” This sentiment was underscored by President Bola Tinubu’s recent endorsement of the disbursed salaries, which NAAT claims have yet to be implemented by the Finance Ministry.

The President of NAAT declared that, during the two-week period, local branches would hold congresses to decide through a referendum whether to intensify the protest into a full-scale strike.

It warned that if the government failed to act by November 13, 2024, it would embark on an indefinite strike, which would potentially impact academic calendars and critical research activities across the tertiary education system.

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