Plateau tertiary institutions’ staffers vow to continue industrial action
The Joint Union of Plateau State Tertiary Institutions has vowed to continue with its on-going strike until the state government met their various demands.
The workers are currently on strike over the alleged non-release by the state government of 25 per cent of Treasury Single Account funds amounting to N460 million to tertiary institutions, as well as the non-implementation of their peculiar allowances as contained in earlier agreements.
They have also embarked on the industrial action due to government’s non-payment of pension arrears to its retired members for 24 months, the reconsolidation of their salary structure and the continuous withholding of salary deductions of members.
Mr Peter Longbam, the chairman of the union, who stated this at a media briefing on Friday in Jos, said government had breached numerous agreements reached with the union in the past, hence there was no going back on their industrial action until government met all their demands.
“As you are all aware, workers of Plateau State-owned tertiary institutions have been on strike for the past two weeks as a result of the breach of agreements signed with the state government on lingering issues.
“As a matter of fact, uptill this moment, none of those agreements has been honoured by the government.
“We are also worried by the manner with which government agencies and departments are attending to our issues.
“A situation where our reminders and notices are not responded to by the government calls for concern.
“It is in the light of these that we are compelled to call this news conference.
“It is to inform the public about our lingering unresolved issues in order to put the records straight and let everybody know that until our demands are met, the strike will continue,’’ he said.
Longbaam called for the understanding, support and cooperation of parents and members of the public, stressing that it was the only option that the union was left with, “to salvage tertiary education in the state from total collapse.”
