The Joint Union of Nasarawa State Tertiary Institutions (JUNSTI) has called on the state government to implement the payment of promotion arrears, an annual increment of N30,000, and the N70,500 minimum wage for workers in the state’s tertiary institutions with immediate effect.
In a letter addressed to Governor Abdullahi Sule and dated January 15, 2025, the union demanded that the issues be resolved alongside the January 2025 salaries or risk industrial action.
The letter, signed by JUNSTI Chairman Gbande Samson Kale, stated that several previous correspondences on the matter had gone unanswered.
“Your Excellency may recall that the union has written several letters dated November 11, 20, and 29, 2024, on critical pending issues affecting the institutions,” the letter read.
These issues, according to the union, include the non-implementation of the N30,000 annual increment, pending promotion arrears, and the agreed N70,500 minimum wage for three institutions in the state.
The union emphasized that the N70,500 minimum wage agreement had been signed with the state government and organized labor but had not been implemented.
“In light of the above, the union demands the implementation of these issues alongside the January 2025 salaries to avert industrial harmony,” the union warned.
JUNSTI’s ultimatum reflects growing among staff in the state’s tertiary institutions over what they describe as the government’s lack of commitment to honoring agreements.
Failure to address these demands, the union said, could lead to a shutdown of academic and administrative activities in the affected institutions.
The state government is yet to respond to the union’s letter at the time of filing this report.