‘No pay, no work’ — ASUU threatens strike over unpaid salaries
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stern warning to the federal government, stating that a nationwide strike may be imminent if outstanding salary payments are not made.
The union has instructed its members in affected university branches to stay away from work until their June salaries are paid.
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, made this known in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, clarifying that the union is not currently on an indefinite strike, despite rumours circulating online.
“This is not an indefinite strike. We have told our members to go by the ‘no pay, no work’ policy. If salaries are not paid by the end of July, we will stop work again. It’s that simple,” Mr Piwuna said.
The directive currently applies to university branches where lecturers have yet to receive their June salaries. Mr Piwuna disclosed that some branches have resumed academic activities following payment, including the University of Abuja and the University of Jos.
“Those who commenced the strike and their salaries have been paid are back to work. At least I can confirm to you that the University of Jos is back to work,” he said.
He stressed that ASUU members facing delayed payments are unable to perform their duties, urging the federal government to settle all outstanding wages promptly to avert a full-blown strike.
The union has long criticised inconsistent salary payments and other welfare issues affecting academic staff. With July’s salary deadline looming, the possibility of another shutdown across Nigerian universities remains a real threat.