Tertiary institutions workers in Plateau State on Tuesday advised the outgoing administration of Governor Simon Lalong to honour the agreement reached with the workers union or face a total strike beginning from Wednesday.
The workers, under the aegis of the Joint Union of Academic Staff of Plateau State-Owned Tertiary Institutions, issued the strike notice in a statement on Tuesday jointly signed by their chairman, Lawam Deban, and secretary, Dakyen Makmis.
The workers lamented the non-payment of their salaries for over three months and recalled that on August 23, the union signed an agreement with the Plateau State Government on Employment, Promotion and other related Matters, which led to the suspension of an earlier strike by them.
The statement listed other grouse of the workers with the government to include the non-implementation of the 2021 and 2022 promotion arrears, refusal by the government to pay third-party deductions simultaneously with salaries, non-refunds of Plateau State Contributory Health Care Management Agency deductions and refusal to constitute its board, refusal to administratively handle the decentralisation of salaries of the respective institutions, among others.
“The Joint Union of Academic Staff of Plateau State-Owned Tertiary Institutions has become concerned about the failure of the Plateau State Government to fulfil some of its agreement signed about nine months ago with JUASPTI.
“We are glad that the governor is a legal luminary and knows this better. It is also heart-warming that during the 2023 Workers’ Day celebration, His Excellency (Governor Simon Lalong) was appreciative of the harmonious labour-government relations during his tenure.
“We are hopeful that fulfilling the agreement his government signed with JUASPTI on August 23, 2022 with other emerging issues will also leave the members of the union with similar gesture,” the union said.
Attempts to get the government’s reaction were unsuccessful as the state Head of Service, Sunday Hyat; and Commissioner for Information, Dan Manjang, neither picked calls nor responded to the text message sent to them by our correspondent.
