The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions comprising National Association of Academic Technologies (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) has given reasons why strike will continue in the institutions even if the ongoing national strike is called off.
It said the failure of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to cater for their welfare had caused untold hardship and untimely death among members.
The body said reduction in subventions to tertiary institutions in the state had resulted in owing workers salaries ranging from four to 12 months, as well as causing problems for the running of the institutions.
The Chairman of the body, Tayo Ogungbeni, said at a news briefing in Akure that funding of tertiary education had been poor under Akeredolu.
He said grants for capital projects and subventions were released as and when due by past administrations, but that no capital grants had been released to some of the tertiary institutions in the state since 2018.
Ogungbeni said many of the retirees from the institutions, who retired over 10 years ago, could not access their retirement benefits.
He listed other challenges to include non-implementation of the 2009 Federal Government agreement with the unions, non-implementation of the national minimum wage, absence of governing councils in the institutions, among others.
Ogungbeni said the strike would be averted if the government approved increment in monthly subvention to the tertiary institutions, began payment of the new minimum wage, payment of their outstanding salaries and earned allowances and released bailout to the institutions to “pay withheld deductions and retirement benefits of our retired members.”