 of staff unions in Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions has urged Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to immediately implement the National Minimum Wage for workers in the state’s higher education sector.){kind=link}
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of staff unions in Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions has urged Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to immediately implement the National Minimum Wage for workers in the state’s higher education sector.
The unions emphasized that these workers have been unfairly excluded from the wage structure already benefiting civil servants in other government sectors.
The committee, which includes the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), expressed frustration over the continued neglect of tertiary institution workers in the implementation of the 2024 National Minimum Wage and related salary adjustments.
In a letter to the Governor, the committee pointed out that while civil servants in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are receiving the minimum wage, staff at institutions like Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko; Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa; the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo; and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, have been left out, despite the approval of 2025 budgetary allocations.
The unions expressed concern over the hardship caused by this exclusion, with many of their members struggling to meet basic needs due to the rising cost of living.
JAC also noted that arrears from the 2019 Minimum Wage have yet to be paid, and wage award payments remain incomplete.
They criticized the state government’s lack of response to these issues, which they deemed unfair and unacceptable.
Despite prior meetings with the Governor’s representatives and a communique issued in February 2025, the unions have not received any meaningful response, deepening their frustration.
The committee is calling for the immediate payment of withheld subventions dating back to January 2017, full implementation of the 2025 budgetary allocations, and the resolution of unpaid pensions and gratuities for retired staff.
They warned that failure to act within 14 days would lead to industrial action, potentially disrupting academic activities across the state’s tertiary institutions.
The unions emphasized that their fight is not just about wages, but also about justice, fairness, and the dignity of labor.