Academic Staff Salaries and Academic Union Struggles: Historical Evidence from Nigeria

International Journal of Economics and Management Studies

© 2019 by SSRG - IJEMS Journal

Volume 6 Issue 6

Year of Publication : 2019

Authors : Abubakar Sabo, Muhammad Sani Umar , Abdulsalam Nasiru, Kaoje

10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V6I6P115

How to Cite?

Abubakar Sabo, Muhammad Sani Umar , Abdulsalam Nasiru, Kaoje, "Academic Staff Salaries and Academic Union Struggles: Historical Evidence from Nigeria," SSRG International Journal of Economics and Management Studies, vol. 6,  no. 6, pp. 97-101, 2019. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V6I6P115

Abstract:

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, (then known as the National Association of University Teachers, NAUT) in the pre 1978 period were adjudged the most passive workers’ union in Nigeria. Members of the union were relatively unconcerned about the union’s activities and rarely demonstrated any sign of militancy since they were among the highest paid members of the Nigerian middle class and their salaries were never delayed. Rather, the union was more interested in the discharge of good quality education (Jega 1994:7). This position of the union was challenged, first of all in 1970s, by excessive inflation which eroded the purchasing power of all workers. Thus in 1973, the NAUT went on its first strike to negotiate wage increases. However, its profile at the time was that of a very compliant and elitist union, and it took a mere threat from the military administration of General Gowon to halt the strike. The leadership of the union met immediately and called off the strike; it was directly out of this context that ASUU was established in 1978. The paper makes a cogent review of the union struggles vis a vis the salary and other conditions of service of its members. It further found that academic staff salary review from successive governments in Nigeria was a success as a result of the union’s struggles over a period of time. it also concludes that the rise to dominance of the Nigerian military in the postcolonial context and the connivance of the military with the processes of ‘structural adjustment’ which have forced limits on public sector spending, as well as the hypocrisy of the subsequent civilian regimes in Nigeria are factors which led to the economic decline in the status of the Nigerian academics over the years.

Keywords:

Academic Staff Salaries , Academic Union Struggles , Nigeria , Retirement Period

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