Ondo, Varsity Unions End Wage Dispute with New Agreement

The Ondo State Government and tertiary institution unions have reached an agreement on the implementation of the new Federal Government and university unions' wage structure and allowances.

This is contained in a statement issued to newsmen on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan.

The agreement followed a series of meetings between state government officials, led by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the leadership of labour unions across state-owned universities. According to the statement, 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 the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).

The academic and non-academic unions across the three Ondo State-owned universities have been on a total and indefinite strike over unpaid allowances owed to members.

Governor Approves Full Domestication of CONUASS

The statement said the meeting addressed outstanding issues relating to salary adjustments, allowances, and other welfare matters affecting workers within the state-owned universities. A major resolution reached 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 at state-owned universities. According to the statement, implementation of this resolution will take into account the peculiarities specific to the state.

Governor Reaffirms Commitment to Education

During the meeting, Aiyedatiwa described education as a cardinal priority of his administration, promising unions his continued commitment to sustaining industrial harmony across 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 further pledged to continue engaging stakeholders to ensure the state's tertiary institutions remain centres of excellence, free from recurring industrial disputes.

Union Commends Governor's Decision

According to the statement, the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko chapter of ASUU, speaking on behalf of the unions, commended Aiyedatiwa for approving the FGN-ASUU agreement for the state's universities.