The Governing Council of the Osun State University, UNIOSUN, has appealed to striking workers of the institution to resume work, adding that the council had agreed to pay them their earned allowances within the next thirty months.
The council has refused to withdraw its ‘no work, no pay’ policy, adding that a register of attendance would be administered in every college and departments for non-teaching staff members who are willing to resume work immediately.
The University Council made this decision at its meeting held on Monday.
A release signed by Gafar Shittu, the Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council, which was also made available to newsmen on Tuesday, said the university had not been able to pay the workers’ allowances because of shortfall in its finances.
“It is apposite to state at this juncture, that the University has been unable to pay the Earned Allowance because of the shortfall in its finances.
“Nevertheless, of the total sum of five hundred and twenty four million naira (N524M) being the cost of the accrued allowances for the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, the sum of two hundred and twenty four million naira (N224M)has since been paid while the university is not owing any arrears of salary till date.
“It should be noted that even Federal Universities have only paid for 2009/2010 while no state university in Nigeria has paid anything close to UNIOSUN. Yet, non-teaching staff Unions have continued to reject offer of instalmental payment of the balance of the three hundred million (N300M) but preferred payment of the earned allowance at most twice without due cognizance of the peculiar financial status of the University.
“The non-teaching staff members have been on strike for three (3) weeks. The implication is that the University has been practically shut down. Several statutory meetings had to be cancelled or postponed while the National Universities Commission (NUC)’s accreditation of regular undergraduate programmes and the Nursing Council of Nigeria’s professional accreditation of the nursing programme were almost stalled.
“Meanwhile the non-teaching staff members who are still on strike were paid salaries while the students who are financing the University are losing out and being short-changed.
“Therefore, the University Council at its meeting held on Monday, 26th March, 2018 and in response to the on-going three (3) weeks strike of the non-teaching staff, directed as follows:
That the three hundred million naira (N300M) balance of the 2014/2015 Earned Allowance be paid instalmentally at ten million naira (N10M) per month effective from 30th April, 2018.
“That the “no-work-no pay” extant rule remains in force.
“That a register of attendance be administered in every College and departments for non-teaching staff members who are willing to resume work immediately.
“That all non-teaching staff on strike should resume back to work on or before the 10thApril, 2018, failing which the extant rules of the University will apply.
“It is on this note that the management reiterates its long-standing appeal to the striking non-teaching staff to return to work and join once again in the arduous task of the growth and development of the University,” the release reads.