By Ologeh Joseph Chibu
The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the payment of five and a half months of withheld salaries and addressing other grievances.
Should the government fail to act, the union has vowed to withdraw its services from universities nationwide.
This ultimatum was part of resolutions made during NAAT’s 56th National Executive Council meeting, held in Taraba State.
The union communicated its position in a letter to the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, signed by its President, Ibeji Nwokoma. NAAT warned that if their demands are not met after the 21-day deadline, which started on September 30, they will not be responsible for any consequences of the impending industrial action.
In the letter, titled “Notice of 21-Day Ultimatum to Embark on Industrial Action,” NAAT expressed frustration over the government’s failure to address its longstanding issues. These include the non-payment of withheld salaries, failure to pay arrears of minimum wage from April 2019 to January 2020, and outstanding salary increments from 2023. NAAT also raised concerns about inadequate infrastructure, dilapidated laboratories, and obsolete equipment in universities.
The letter was copied to the Nigeria Labour Congress and the National Universities Commission. It stressed that the union had been forced into this position after the government’s failure to act, despite a presidential directive issued over five months ago for the payment of the withheld salaries.
NAAT warned that if there was no positive response from the government after the three-week ultimatum, the union would proceed with industrial action without further notice.
The association also recalled its previous strike, which started on March 21, 2022, and ended in August 2022 after negotiations with the then Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu. However, it lamented that the issues that led to that strike remain unresolved, particularly the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/NAAT Agreement.
The union further expressed its dissatisfaction with the government’s selective application of the “No-Work-No-Pay” policy. While NAAT members have been denied salaries for five and a half months, another union was compensated with four months’ salary arrears in March 2024.
NAAT has emphasized that it followed all legal procedures in its previous industrial actions and remains committed to peaceful resolution through dialogue, despite the government’s repeated failure to meet its obligations.
