The Ondo State Government and unions representing workers in the state-owned universities have reached an agreement on the implementation of the Federal Government’s wage structure and allowances for university staff.
The agreement followed a series of meetings between the state government, led by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the leadership of the various labour unions in the universities.
According to The Punch, this was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan.
The unions involved in the negotiations included the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, National Association of Academic Technologists and Non-Academic Staff Union.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that academic and non-academic workers in the three state-owned universities are currently observing a total and indefinite strike over unpaid allowances.
According to the statement, the discussions focused on outstanding salary adjustments, allowances and other welfare-related concerns affecting university workers.
It said a major outcome of the meeting was Aiyedatiwa’s approval for the full domestication of the Federal Government-ASUU agreement on the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure for academic staff in the state-owned universities.
The statement added that the implementation would take into consideration the peculiarities of Ondo State.
Speaking during the meeting, Aiyedatiwa said his administration would continue to prioritise education and work towards maintaining industrial harmony across the state’s tertiary institutions.
“Our administration will continue to prioritise the welfare of workers, especially in the education sector, because we understand that a motivated workforce is key to academic excellence.
“We have approved the FGN-ASUU pact for our universities because we want our institutions to compete favourably and our staff to be at par with their counterparts elsewhere,” the statement read.
The governor also assured the unions that the government would continue to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure that the state’s tertiary institutions remained centres of excellence without frequent industrial disputes.
Meanwhile, the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, chapter of ASUU, speaking on behalf of the unions, commended Aiyedatiwa for approving the implementation of the FGN-ASUU agreement in the state universities.
