IMSU JAC THREATEN STRIKE OVER NON PAYMENT OF SALARIES, ALLOWANCES

Reporter : CHINAZO ILECHUKWU

The Joint Action Committee of Non Academic Staff Union, National Association of Academic Technologists and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria University in the Imo State University (IMSU) has appealed to the state government to pay salaries and entitlements of staff of the institution to guarantee industrial harmony.

The Chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), Comrade Eugenia John-Anoruo and three others, in a statement lamented that a good number of legitimate members of staff of the University had not received salaries since March 2020 thereby making life unbearable for them.

According to the statement, rather than hearken to the pleas of the unions to address selective payment of salaries and skipping of February salary to every member of staff of the school, government went further to remove the name of JAC Chairman from salary schedule since July this year for undisclosed reasons.

The statement accused government of non remittance of outstanding staff pension deductions to staff retirement savings account, non remittance of check-off dues to the unions and nonpayment of earned allowances contrary to the memorandum of understanding entered into between the government and the University.

The statement warned that the attempt by the government to enroll staff of the University into the Treasury Single Account would infringe on the university autonomy, noting that the unions would resist such measure as tertiary institutions had their peculiarities.

The Joint Action Committee resolved to resume her suspended strike if the issues raised were not sufficiently addressed before the reopening of the University.

The Unions, however, commended the state government for reconstituting the Governing Council of the University and expressed the hope that the measure would help to address the myriads of issues confronting the Institution.