Workers at five state-owned tertiary institutions in Oyo State have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Oluseyi Makinde- led-administration, with a threat to embark on an indefinite strike if their demands are not met.
The workers made this resolution at a Joint Action Committee meeting held at the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa on Friday, 8 April, 2022
A communique issued and signed at the end of the meeting by JAC’s Chairman, Olusegun Oyeeumi
Preamble
Convening the Meeting became imperative because of the lingering unpleasant realities of staff welfare and infrastructural situations across the institutions. As usual, JAC is quick to identify the advent of positive changes in the sector at the beginning of the present administration of the state. The positive situation has changed in recent past, which makes it impossible to ignore the obvious lack of interests, reneging on promises, administrative aberations and evasiveness of the present administration on very serious and urgent matters concerning the smooth runnings of the institutions.
Issues
There exist myriads of long standing and new issues, but JAC wishes to highlight few as follows:
1. Inadequate monthly subventions to all the institutions: the monthly subventions to all the institutions remain as they were in 2016, not minding annual salary increments and promotions between then and now. The subventions are greatly inadequate to pay workers wages. Oyo State College of Education Lanlate received 80% of their salary in February while EACOED OYO and OYSCATECH Igboora keep borrowing before they could pay salary. Expenses such as running and capital costs suffer neglect.
2. Persistent delays in salary payment: this has remained reccuring since September 2021 till date. (except for Dec. 2021). Unlike other sectors that still maintain the 25th of every month as their payday, the tertiary institutions sector now receives theirs on an uncertain day in the following month. As at this day, Monday April 11, 2022 the salaries of March 2022 are yet to be paid.
3. Non implementations of the January 2021 agreement on minimum wage arrears at OYSCOED Lanlate: 16 months after penning the agreement, workers in Lanlate are yet to receive any of the accrued 12 month arrears despite His Excellency promise in February to pay all the arrears within four weeks, whereas the agreement has either been fully or nearly fully implemented in other institutions
4. Non payment of 2018 & 19 salary arrears to the affected institutions: despite His Excellency’s assurances to commence the defrayment of these arrears immediately after exhausting 2016 & 17 arrears, it is worrisome that several months after, the requisite approval for the commencement remains a mirage.
5. Substantive Management: Despite the fact that all the processes for the appointment have been completed, the Government is yet to announce the substantive management in TOPS Saki and OYSCATECH, Igboora.
6. Breach of 2021 Agreement: Government has failed to implement the agreement with the unions to approve necessary running costs to all tertiary institutions on semester basis through a tripatrite meeting of ministry of education, Governing Councils and the institutions management as contained in 2021 Agreement. This has ultimately affected service delivery in these institutions. The students are the ones bearing brunt
Our demands
In the interest of preserving the prevalent industrial harmony across all the institutions, JAC hereby makes the following legitimate demands:
1. Monthly subventions to all the institutions should be increased to amounts surplus to payment of salaries
2. Salaries of workers in the sector should henceforth be paid on His Excellency’s campaign date of 25th of every month. And the yet to be paid March salaries should be paid immediately
3. All accruable arrears of minimum wage should be paid to workers in OYSCOED, Lanlate immediately
4. The defrayment of 2018 &19 salary arrears should commence with April 2022 salaries
5. All appointment related matters should be resolved in line with the provisions of the edicts immediately
6. Immediate implementation of 2021 Agreement to provide running costs for all institutions.
Resolutions
Following our fruitless endless entreaties (for over a year) to the Government to address all the afore cited issues and demands, JAC is left with no other options than to initiate the process of industrial engagement. Hence, JAC hereby issue a fourteen (14) day ultimatum (April 11-25, 2022) to the Government to grant all the demands, failing which all the Union members of JAC shall take necessary steps on her legitimate demand.
