By Pwanagba Agabus
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has urged Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau State to release N310 million for the payment of Earned Allowances owed its members in Plateau State University, Bokkos.
The aforementioned figure represents the payments owed from 2010 to 2020.
The Union also called on the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Yohanna Izam, to mainstream Hazard Allowances to SSANU members’ salaries in the university at the Governing Council’s approved rate of N30,000, since the state government had released funds for the full implementation of the allowance.
The NEC made the call in a Communique at the end of its 41st regular meeting held at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
The National President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, who read the communique, said that the NEC was not happy that PLASU workers were on strike, and urged the governor to act swiftly.
The Communique further called on the state government to address all other issues that led to the declaration of the indefinite strike in the university, and also urged the school management to comply with the decision of SSANU NEC on the correct payment of checkoff dues without imposing conditions alien to the Trade Union Act.
It would be recalled that PLASU branch of SSANU declared an indefinite strike on December 21, 2021, following the failure of the state government and the university administration to address some of the union’s grievances as contained in the 21-day and four weeks ultimatum letters dated July 2 and August 3, 2021 respectively.
The Chairman, Comrade Timnan Rimdap, and Secretary, Comrade Fom Dakwak, in the strike declaration letter dated December 21, 2021, highlighted some of the union’s demands to include mainstreaming of hazard allowance at the Council approved rate.
Others included payment of arrears of Earned Allowances, payment of arrears of the New Minimum Wage from April 2019 to December 2020, addressing the issue of haphazard payment of salaries and constitution of a Board to manage the staff gratuity fund.
The workers also demanded the implementation of the CONTISS 15 salary grade level, calculation of annual leave based on working days and compliance with SSANU NEC decision on the correct payment of checkoff dues to the union.
Rimdap, while reacting to the communique on Tuesday, said that none of the issues highlighted had been addressed since the declaration of the ongoing strike action.
