Disparity in salaries: SSANU kicks against
SSANU AND NASU
National President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, stated this in a
statement in Abuja on Tuesday on the alleged proposed salary disparity by the
Nimi-Briggs Committee for the university staff.
According to him, “We have read in the media that there is a
proposal for the review of salary for University staff with a differential of
teaching staff taking between 108 to 180 per cent and unreasonable of 10
percent for non-teaching staff.
“We are shocked to read that the Nimi-Briggs Committee has
submitted a report to the government while we only met with them twice. To say
the least, SSANU is not happy with the pace of work in that committee.
“While we only met twice with them, we are aware that they have
met with the teaching staff not less than 10 times. We are surprised how the
so-called percentage was allocated to non-teaching staff. We have not had the
opportunity of discussing salary review with them because the committee stated
that they have not gotten the approval of their principal to discuss that.
“We are seriously shocked and taken aback by the media report
that a certain miserable, unacceptable percentage was recommended to
non-teaching staff. We, therefore, advise that that committee should, as a
matter of urgency, conclude renegotiation with us.”
The SSANU boss told the committee to immediately reconvene to
conclude the assignment given to it by discussing frankly and truthfully the
2009 renegotiation document presented to it.
Warning that the non-teaching staff would not take lightly any
attempt to have different payment tables for staff, he said, “This is because
the university system is a universal system comprising two broad categories of
staff, the teaching, and the non-teaching staff and the salary consideration
has always been the same except for allowances.
“Therefore, any attempt to give preferential treatment to any
group will not only be unfair but unjust and inhumane.
“The way the university operates, we are all in the system
because of the students, the students are the most important stakeholder in the
university project. Therefore, while the teaching staff is busy imparting
knowledge to the students, the non-teaching staff have the responsibility of
moulding the character of students through the provision of a conducive and
secure atmosphere and that is why at the end of any student graduating degrees
are awarded to students if they are found worthy in character and learning. The
teaching and non-teaching staff play complementary roles in making the
university.
“There is no university community that can operate successfully
without the two categories of staff.
“For us, that story remains a rumour but if there is any truth
in it, SSANU will resist it with any possible legal means available to us.”
Commending Senator Ngige for the role he has played in handling
the negotiation of the 2009 Agreement, he said, “SSANU is happy with the
dexterity of the Minister of Labour and Employment in ensuring that all
university-based unions are carried along in this renegotiation exercise.”
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