Delta Labour Unions Suspend Planned Strike

By Princess Iwejim/Jude Umunu/Great Okafor 

The planned strike by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of tertiary institutions in Delta State has been put on hold.

The strike, which was scheduled to begin on Monday, was called off after the Ministry of Higher Education invited union leaders for a meeting on Friday.

The concerned unions are Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education (SSUCOEN), Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions (NASU), and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP).

Comr. Izu Monday, Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at Delta State University, Abraka, announced the decision in a statement, saying that the union leaders had decided to honour the government’s invitation.

The meeting, which will take place in Asaba on Monday, will determine the next course of action for the unions.

The strike was initially called to protest the delay in implementing the reviewed Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS).

However, according to Izu, “good reports are already filtering out from government circles” due to pressure from the unions, indicating that the salary implementation may be imminent.

The SSANU Chairman expressed gratitude for the understanding and cooperation of members and requested fervent prayers for favour and journey mercies as the union representatives head to Asaba for the meeting.

Recall that the Labour Unions had issued a final ultimatum to the state government, threatening to embark on a warning industrial action if the 2023 reviewed Salary Structure was not implemented by Sunday, August 18, 2024.

In a letter to the management of the various institutions, the unions had expressed frustration over the state government’s failure to implement the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS), despite repeated reminders since November 2023.

Led by Comrades Izu Monday, Igbunu Richard, Ayewumi Andrew, and others, the unions had jointly demanded that the state government direct the management of the tertiary institutions to implement and pay the arrears of the reviewed Consolidated Salary Structure.