By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos – The Joint Union of Academic Staff of Plateau State-owned Tertiary Institutions, JUASPTI, has declared a week warning strike, which is to commence on Tuesday, March 4th.

Some of the issues in contention predate Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s administration, but the Unionists say if they are not promptly addressed, they have no choice but to embark on an indefinite action until all contending issues are satisfactorily resolved.

The Chairman of JUASPTI, Tobias Lawam, who spoke with journalists in Jos on Monday, noted that the incumbent government inherited a two-month strike, but through the goodwill of the leadership and members of the Union, the strike was suspended on August 1, 2023, based on an agreement between the Union and the State Government.

However, Lawam noted that nothing much came out of the agreement that made them suspend the strike.

His words, “It has become pertinent to address you considering a lot of developments that have transpired in the tertiary education sector in Plateau State in about two years. The Joint Union of Academic Staff of Plateau State-owned Tertiary Institutions, JUASPTI, has, over the period under review, engaged the Plateau State Government over very critical issues in our sector that have been deliberately ignored or the government playing to the gallery.

“The current Government inherited a two-month-old strike by our Union, but by sheer goodwill of our leadership and members, the strike was suspended on 1st August 2023 with an agreement entered between JUASPTI and the Plateau State Government. Four issues were contained in the agreement for the government action:

“That the Government shall write a debt profile to the Debt Management Office for inclusion – of balance of 2021 and 2022 promotions in the 2024 budget; that all deductions wrongfully made by PLASCHEMA shall be looked into with a view of refunding same to members by the end of November 2023; the process of the decentralization of salary shall be concluded and implemented by the end of December 2023; that all salaries shall henceforth be paid alongside third party deductions.

“Some of these issues, like the issue of owed 2021 and 2022 promotion arrears and delayed remittance of third party deductions and non-decentralization of our salary, are still lingering.”

He noted that other vital issues like the review of salary structure, removal of four Heads of tertiary institutions, employment, and setting up of Governing Councils emerged along the way, and the government’s attention was drawn, but the lack of government’s commitment to addressing them could no longer be tolerated.

Therefore, they are “embarking on a 7-day warning strike beginning on Tuesday, March 4th. After the review of the process, JUASPTI will embark on a total and indefinite action until all the contending issues are satisfactorily resolved.”

However, all attempts to get the reaction of the State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Kachollom Gang, were unsuccessful as she neither picked up her call nor responded to the text message sent to her known phone number.