The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) chapter at Sokoto State University launched a five-day warning strike on Monday, November 2, to protest unpaid worker benefits and unresolved grievances. This industrial shutdown follows the expiration of a 14-working- day ultimatum issued to the Sokoto State Government on October 14, after previous negotiations failed to yield a positive resolution.
Key details of the ongoing labor dispute include:
- The warning strike commenced on Monday, November 2.
- The union is demanding the payment of arrears from a 25 per cent salary increment and the immediate implementation of the 35 per cent Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA).
- Union leaders revealed that government representatives proposed postponing CONTTA implementation until January 2027.
- "Failure to address these demands at the end of the five-working-day warning strike may compel the union to embark on a total and indefinite shutdown of services at the university," leadership warned in an official statement.
Why did negotiations collapse between the union and the state government?
In a joint bulletin released by the branch chairman, Ismail Bala Muhammed, and secretary, Mansur Ahmad, the association explained that its members were forced to down tools after multiple diplomatic efforts broke down. The chapter had earlier engaged with key state officials, including the Commissioner for Higher Education, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, and the Deputy Governor, seeking urgent administrative intervention.
Although a special government committee was established to dialogue with campus-based unions from both Sokoto State University and Shehu Shagari University of Education, a crucial meeting held on October 9 ended in a deadlock. According to SSANU, the state administration flatly refused to settle the 25 per cent salary increment arrears and pushed the rollout of the CONTTA allowance to January 2027, tying it strictly to future budget appropriations.
What are the main grievances raised by the university workers?
Aside from the salary arrears and CONTTA implementation, the labor union is pressing for regular annual salary increments for qualified personnel and the immediate remittance of outstanding check-off dues. SSANU argued that denying non-teaching staff these benefits was unfair, pointing out that comparable allowances have already been approved for academic personnel represented by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other worker categories across state-owned higher institutions.
Following a formal request from the Permanent Secretary, the association resubmitted its comprehensive list of demands but received no definitive feedback before the expiration of their ultimatum. Consequently, SSANU has appealed directly to Governor Ahmed Aliyu to step into the matter personally. The union also urged traditional rulers, students, parents, and other prominent community stakeholders to urge the state authorities to fulfill their obligations before the current warning strike transforms into a total and indefinite lockdown of institutional operations.