The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of staff unions in Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions has given a 14-day ultimatum to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to implement the national minimum wage for workers in the state’s higher institutions.
It said failure for Governor Aiyedatiwa to act within 14 days could result in industrial action and disruption of academic activities in tertiary institutions in the state.
Institutions to be affected by the industrial action are Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko; Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa; University of Medical Sciences, Ondo; and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo,
The threat to embark on industrial action was contained in a letter addressed to Governor Aiyedatiwa and signed by representatives of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP).
They said they had been unjustly excluded from the wage structure already enjoyed by core civil servants.
In the letter, JAC said the continued neglect of tertiary institution workers in the implementation of the 2024 National Minimum Wage and related salary adjustments were frustrating.
The letter said the exclusion had caused hardship and financial strain on members.
Other demands by JAC were incomplete payment of arrears from the 2019 minimum wage and wage award payments.
The letter said: “Previous meetings with the governor’s representatives and a communiqué issued in February have yielded no meaningful response.
“We demand immediate payment of withheld subventions dating back to January 2017, full implementation of the approved 2025 budgetary allocations and the settlement of unpaid pensions and gratuities for retired workers.
“This fight is not just about wages, but justice, equity and the dignity of labour.”
