By: Ade Phillips
The trade unions at Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, have informed Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa about an upcoming strike.
The reasons cited include unpaid minimum wages, wage awards, and delays in the institution’s subvention.
Temidayo Temola, Chairman of the Joint Action Congress, disclosed this during a press briefing in Okitipupa following the congress on Thursday.
The unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, Non-Academic Staff Unions and Allied Educational Institutions and the National Association of Academic Technologists.
Mr Temola said that the state government failed to implement the Nigeria Labour Congress new minimum wage of N30,000 to workers in the university since 2019 including discrimination in payment of N35,000 wage awards to workers in the institution.
He also said that the monthly subvention of the institution declined from N60 million to N42 million and later rose to N54 million which has been delayed for some time.
According to him, for the record and avoidance of doubt, the agitations are: non implementation of 2019 minimum wage, discrimination in payment of N35,000 wage awards and reduction and delay in release of subvention and non-payment of approved budgetary allocation of subvention.
“It is sad to note that as we speak, the 2019 minimum wage that is becoming old has not been effected in our salaries. You can now imagine the geometrical increase in prices of goods and services thereafter and we do not need any soothsayer to tell the world that no group of workers is more impoverished than the workers in this university.
“On the wage award which is to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal, whose payment was commenced in November and December 2023, we maintain that continuous discriminatory payment will not be tolerated or accepted.
“Finally, in line with the resolution of Ondo State JAC, we are putting the state government, the university governing council and management on notice of an impending industrial action, if these issues are not resolved in a few days to come,” Mr Temola said
He, however, said that JAC in its congress, mourned and commiserated with Mr Ayedatiwa and the people of Ondo State over the demise of the former visitor to the university, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who died on December 27, 2023, in Germany.
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