Workers at the six tertiary institutions that belong to Oyo State have issued a 21-day ultimatum to the state government over the non-payment of their full salaries and poor funding of the institution, in spite of the agreement reached between both parties on January 31, 2018.
Workers at The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo; Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora; The Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa; The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki; and College of Education, Lanlate went on strike for several months over the non-payment of their salary arrears and reduction of government subvention to the schools to 25 per cent. The institutions resumed academic activities after reaching an agreement with the government in January.
A communiqué released by workers’ unions in the institutions after a meeting of the Joint Action Committee said the workers would resume their suspended strike unless all salary arrears were fully paid.
The communiqué, which was signed by leaders of the unions in all the schools, also said the ultimatum began on May 25, 2018. According to the leaders of the union, the meeting was conveyed to review the situation in the institutions four months after the agreement was signed.
The communiqué read, “Despite the position of government that the governing councils were constituted to resolve the issue of factional salary payment and the payment of salary arrears of between eight and 24 months, the issues remain the same. Not all the institutions have paid full salaries to their staff till date. No council has come up with a template for the payment of the accrued salary arrears.
“The issue of poor funding of the schools by the government has compounded problems in the institutions. The meeting finally resolved to give government 21 working days ultimatum to pay all accrued arrears failing which all staff of the institutions will resume their suspended strike until these arrears of eight to 24 months are fully paid.”
Source: Punch
