Education

SSANU, NASU Vow to Ground Varsities over Withheld Salary

By Web News 471

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities and Allied Institutions will commence a nationwide strike today (Monday), to protest their withheld four months’ salary.

The National President of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim, informed The PUNCH on Sunday that the two unions were set for their nationwide strike.

But the Minister for Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, said he was unaware of SSANU/NASU’s planned strike.

In a text message sent to one of our correspondents on Sunday, the minister said, “I am not aware of any planned strike. But I know the matter is receiving attention at the highest level of govt. I will get across to them.”

The Federal Government, implementing the no-work, no-pay policy, had withheld the salaries of university workers following a prolonged strike in 2021.

However, the Federal Government in February released four-month withheld salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities but left out SSANU and NASU.

The two unions, in several letters, demanded that their withheld salaries be equally released and gave the Federal Government an ultimatum with a threat to embark on a nationwide strike.

According to SSANU leader  Ibrahim, “The Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU has inundated the Federal Government with the need to pay the withheld four-month salaries of our members in the federal universities and inter-university centres as done for our academic counterpart to no avail.

“As a matter of fact, the attention of Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, and Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN, the Honourable Minister of Education, was called to this injustice and unfair treatment of our members in our letter referenced JAC/NS/VOL.I/277 and dated 13th February 2024. We called on them to resolve the issue positively before it leads to an unnecessary upheaval in our university sector.

“In a similar vein, a press release was issued on 1st March 2024 and the Federal Government was given a seven-day ultimatum to do the needful in respect of the payment of the withheld four months’ salaries but nothing was done on the matter.

“Having waited patiently for the ultimatum to expire without any positive response from the government, this is to direct our members in the universities and inter-university centres throughout the country to commence a seven-day warning strike effective Monday, 18th March 2024 in the first instance.”

Also, SSANU National Vice-President, Abdussobur Salaam, said the government had not made any offer to the union since it started the agitation for payment of its withheld salaries.

“We have not heard anything from the government; they are not saying anything about payment of the salaries, no promises, no negotiation. We are not saying they should pay everything at once, at least they should show commitment, talk to us, and tell us when we should expect the payment, but nothing from them, they have been silent even after our warning strike press statement, still, nothing

Punch/Simeon Ugbodovon Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join

Labour

Demotion of workers, half salaries are fake news- Osun Govt.

By Web News 775

By Funmi Adekoya

The Osun State Government says there is no plan to demote workers or plan to pay half of the salaries to state workers.

 In a statement signed by the Governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the government described as falsehood and wicked fabrication, the fake news about the demotion of workers and alleged plan to pay half salaries.

The statement indicates that the fake news was fabricated to undermine the strong bond between Governor Adeleke and Osun workers, both in the formal and informal sectors.

It states that Governor Adeleke, since assumption of office, has since been working round the clock to restore public confidence in government, bridge the infrastructural gap, clear backlogs of salaries owed to workers, rebuild the public service, sanitize public finance, and digitalize Osun economy.

The Government, therefore, urges members of the public to ignore the fake news about the demotion of workers and the re-introduction of half salaries.

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News

Labour Leaders, Federal Workers Lament Challenges Posed By IPPIS Over Salaries

By Web News 706

Labour leaders and federal civil servants have expressed worry over challenges posed by the integrated payroll and personnel Information System, IPPIS initiated by the federal government to centralize payment of salaries of public servants.

 Our correspondent Oriola Afolabi takes a look at factors responsible for the dissatisfaction and plights of workers on issues of IPPIS and other related matters.

Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System IPPIS was introduced in 2007 by the federal government to cover 506 Agencies, commissioners, parastatals and all ministries with the mandate of ensuring a centralized payment of salaries’ case, staff remuneration, promote accountability and prevent corrupt practices in the system.

Some of those who spoke with Radio Nigeria on the scheme, listed challenges posed by the IPPIS to workers to include challenge of under payment, none payment of salaries arrears from 2 to 15 months and none recognition of labour law by the managers of the scheme.

In his own submission, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Obafemi Awolowo university, OAU, Dr Adeola Egbetokun said that the introduction of IPPIS was good at the beginning but the reverse was the case, as the system had dropped in quality while workers now faced untold hardship before they could be paid.

Dr. Egbetokun maintained that the efforts by the ASUU to address the problem did not yield positive result.

The chairman, Non Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU, Federal University Oye Ekiti, FUOYE, Mr Ayodele Ojumo-Ola who lamented the suffering some of their workers were going through due to ineffectiveness of the IPPIS, said federal government needed to take urgent steps to correct problems  that the scheme posed on federal workers nationwide.

Mr Ojumo-Ola maintained that the system created to fight corruption and ease remuneration had turned to hardship.

Vice President, Trade Union Congress TUC, Dr Tom Etimmy who commended the initiative and initiator of IPPIS for a job weldone towards eliminating corruption in the system however blamed most of the problems recorded so far in the system on management of various institutions by not showing interest in the system.

Dr Etimmy called on federal government to decentralise IPPIS and make it more effective, by ensuring proper monitoring and allocation of enough funds to settle the backlogs of salary arrears.

The Vice President ‘B” zone  of the Nigeria Union of Journalists Mrs Ronke Samo advised federal government to as a matter of urgency look into some of the grey areas associated with the scheme for possible remedy.

Mrs Samo suggested that those who were not skillful enough should not be allowed to work with the scheme to guard against errors and other forms of miscalculation.

Oriola Afolabi