The Ondo State Government and tertiary institution unions have reached an agreement on the implementation of the new Federal Government-university unions’ wage structure and allowances.
The agreement was disclosed in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan.
It followed a series of meetings between state government officials, led by Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the leadership of labour unions in state-owned universities.
The unions involved include the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).
Academic and non-academic unions in the state’s three government-owned universities are currently on an indefinite strike over unpaid allowances.
The statement said the meeting addressed outstanding issues relating to salary adjustments, allowances and other welfare matters affecting workers in the institutions.
A major resolution was Aiyedatiwa’s approval for the full domestication of the Federal Government-ASUU agreement on the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) for academic staff in state-owned universities.
According to the statement, implementation would take into account the peculiarities of the state.
Aiyedatiwa described education as a priority of his administration and assured the unions of his commitment to sustaining industrial harmony in the state’s tertiary institutions.
“Our administration will continue to prioritise the welfare of workers, especially in the education sector, because we understand that a motivated workforce is key to academic excellence.
“We have approved the FGN-ASUU pact for our universities because we want our institutions to compete favourably and our staff to be at par with their counterparts elsewhere,” the statement read.
The government said it would continue to engage stakeholders to ensure that the state’s tertiary institutions remained centres of excellence without incessant industrial action.
The Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko chapter of ASUU, speaking on behalf of the unions, commended Aiyedatiwa for approving the agreement for state universities.
