…over unpaid minimum wages
State govt failed to implement NLC new minimum wage of ₦30k to workers in the university since 2019 as well as discrimination in payment of ₦35k wage awards to workers.
Trade unions at Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, Ondo State, have notified the state governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa, of an imminent strike over unpaid minimum wages, wage awards and delay in the institution’s subvention.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of Joint Action Congress (JAC) of the unions, Temidayo Temola while addressing newsmen on Thursday in Okitipupa shortly after its Congress.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Unions and Allied Educational Institutions (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
Temola said that the state government failed to implement the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) new minimum wage of ₦30,000 to workers in the university since 2019 as well as discrimination in payment of ₦35,000 wage awards to workers in the institution.
He however, said that the monthly subvention of the institution declined from ₦60 million to ₦42 million and later rose to ₦54 million which has been delayed for sometime now.
For the record and avoidance of doubt, the agitations are: non implementation of 2019 minimum wage, discrimination in payment of ₦35,000 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 whole 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, our university Governing Council and Management on notice of an impending industrial action, if these issues are not resolved in few days to come,” Temola said.
He, however, said that JAC in its Congress, mourned and commiserated with Ayedatiwa and the good people of Ondo state over the demise of the former visitor to university, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who died on December 27, 2023, in Germany.
(NAN)