Workers rally to protest non-fulfillment of N35,000 wage award

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) at Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, is home to worker unions that have demonstrated against the state government for allegedly failing to include them in the implementation of a N35,000 palliative wage award that was approved to mitigate the effects of the removal of fuel subsidies.

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The leadership of the joint committee, which included the Joint Action Committee and was made up of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), stated that the palliative had not been received by university employees since payment for it started in Ondo State in November 2023.

The demonstrators, who stopped operations at the state institution on Thursday, claimed that the purpose of the demonstration was to pressure the state government to give them their money back because all other state employees had received it, with the exception of the employees of Ondo State’s higher institutions.

Speaking at the protest, Comrade Tayo Ogungbeni, the Chairman of AAUA SSANU and Chairman of JAC in all state tertiary institutions, stated that the demand of the unions was to petition the state government to uphold their entitlement to the payment of the wage award that was agreed upon by the federal and state governments in cooperation with labour unions for all Nigerian workers.

Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko was excluded from the payment, according to Ogungbeni, who added that all other Ondo State workers had received their salaries.

In his own words: “We do not want our rights to be taken for granted. We have started this protest since Tuesday throughout the State tertiary institutions in Ondo State. They did this at Olusegun Agagu University in Okitipupa, University of Medical Sciences in Ondo City, and Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko.

“All Nigerian workers received a palliative wage award of N35,000 from the federal government; we are members of the general labour force; why is Ondo State leaving us out? Why do they claim that we are not eligible for this charitable donation?, Since everyone uses the same market and pays the same price for petrol, we know that our governor wants our welfare, which is why we are requesting that money right now.

“The state government should increase the subvention given to the university (AAUA), open the main gate immediately, pay all reabsorbed staff their entitlements, and pay retirement benefits to our retired staff,” the statement reads.

He said, “We see the nonpayment as cheating, as we are Ondo State workers, and the state government should include us in the palliative payment.”

According to the information we have been given, the tertiary schools’ autonomy is the reason they are refusing to pay us. Regarding autonomy, meanwhile, it should be noted that federal universities receive funding; we all use the same payment mechanism, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t. The subsidy that we do receive is insufficient to meet our demands.

“We have previously written to the Governor (Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa) pleading with him to step in and address this occurrence. We scheduled a meeting with him to discuss our concerns, but it was ineffective. The protest was meant to draw his attention to this.

Additionally, Ekundayo Abiodun, the chairman of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), stated that the organisation would not disband until its demands were fulfilled.

“The federal government of Nigeria announced this palliative wage as soon as the fuel subsidy was removed because the impact on Nigerians was too great. Federal employees received theirs, and Ondo State civil service employees received two months’ pay as well. However, state-owned institutions in Ondo State did not receive any; we are left out, which is unfair.

“I would like to notify you that this is the first stage of our action. If the government doesn’t seem to be listening, we will pursue this matter further and move on to the second stage.”

In response to the union’s plea for patience with the authorities, the university’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Adebisi Adaramola, stated that while the university is aware of the situation, they are doing everything within their power to guarantee that the state government pays.

“We have tried to persuade the university staff that the state government has not sent this money, and we are making all necessary efforts to contact government,” the DVC stated. “We understand that some workers in Ondo State have received payment, but the staff has not received theirs.”