IPPIS: NAATS directs members to begin strike when schools reopen

The National Association of Academic Technologists has directed its members to commence an indefinite strike over the lapses observed in the Integrated Payment and Personnel Information System, as well as the Federal Government’s failure to implement the 2018 Memorandum.

The NAAT stated that the strike would commence from the time of reopening of tertiary institutions after the COVID-19 pandemic was over.

In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, the union said the strike action will be “total, comprehensive and indefinite.”

The NAAT President, Ibeji Nwokoma, signed and sent the strike notice to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.

The letter was also copied to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, the Accountant General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Abubakar Rasheed and the President, Nigerian Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba.

The statement said: “We write with a view to drawing the attention of the minister to the tension, total loss of confidence and disillusionment brewing in the university community across the country. This disenchantment is occasioned by the irregularities in the payment of salaries of our members through the IPPIS Platform. These short comings continued to the last payment of salaries in April 2020

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“The IPPIS unilaterally stopped the payment of occupational hazard allowance to our members. Till date, the following anomalies remain unresolved; unilateral withdrawal and stoppage of payment of occupational hazard, deduction of 2.5 per cent of National housing fund on gross instead of basic salaries, non-payment of consequential adjustment and minimum wage arrears, non-issuance of pay slips since February 2020, under payment and outright omission of many workers from salary payments.

“Also, our union under the Joint Action Committee of NAAT, SSANU and NASU entered into a memorandum of action with the Federal Government resulting in the suspension of the three-month strike action in March 2018. Unfortunately, the government has reneged on the agreement.

“In view of the foregoing, the minister is put on notice that our union in compliance with the generality of the views, expectations and agitations of our membership, will resume the suspended strike action of March 2018 to press home our legitimate demands listed as anomalies under IPPIS and non-implementation of the memorandum of action.”

The NAAT President noted that the strike action “shall be total, comprehensive and indefinite and shall commence on resumption from the present lockdown as a result of the COVID-19” adding that there would be no further notice to this effect.