The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Academic and Non-academic Staff Unions of Bauchi State-owned Tertiary Institutions has declared an indefinite strike with effect from Thursday.
The industrial action was part of the committee’s efforts to ensure implementation of the new Consolidated Polytechnic and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONPCASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutional Salary Structure (CONTEDISS) respectively.
The affected institutions are Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi; Adamu Tafawa Balewa College of Education, Kangere and A.D Rufai College of Education Legal and General Studies, Misau.
Others are Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare; Bauchi State College of Agriculture, Bauchi and Bill and Melinda Gates College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ningi.
In a communiqué issued to pressmen in Bauchi on Friday, the JAC Chairman, Abubakar Ahmed, said the decision followed the expiration of the two-week warning strike action embarked on by the academics between December 16 and 30, 2024.
Ahmed expressed JAC’s dismay with the approaches of the government representatives towards resolving its demands.
The chairman insisted that the non-implementation of the new CONPCASS and CONTEDISS tables as demanded coupled with a lack of substantive and sincere commitment from the government and use of delay tactics to sabotage the good effort of Governor Bala Mohammed towards ensuring stability, proficiency and quality service delivery in the state-owned tertiary institutions necessitated the strike.
He also alleged that the government representatives mediating between JAC and the state government were “foistering threats to intimidate the leadership of JAC and its members across all the tertiary institutions in the state.”
Consequently, he said the JAC congress, after reviewing the position of the government representatives, resolved to embark on “a total, indefinite and strike action commencing from Thursday 2nd January, 2025.”
“JAC sympathises with the general public, especially our students and parents, for any inconveniences this industrial might cause,” he added.
Abubakar assured that JAC members would resume work once their demands are met.
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