By Asaye Bankole
The Ondo State Government and unions representing academic and non-academic workers in the state-owned universities have reached an agreement on the implementation of the new wage structure and allowances.
The agreement followed a series of meetings between the state government, led by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the leadership of the various tertiary institution unions.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, on Monday.
The unions involved in the negotiations included the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).
The development comes as academic and non-academic unions in the three state-owned universities remain on an indefinite strike over outstanding allowances and other welfare-related issues.
The meeting addressed several unresolved matters, including salary adjustments, allowances and other welfare concerns affecting workers in the institutions.
One of the major decisions reached was Governor Aiyedatiwa’s approval for the full domestication of the Federal Government-ASUU agreement on the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) for academic staff in Ondo State-owned universities.
According to the statement, the implementation would be adapted to reflect the peculiar circumstances and financial realities of the state.
Aiyedatiwa said his administration regarded education as a major priority and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining industrial harmony across the state’s tertiary institutions.
He said the government would continue to prioritise workers’ welfare, particularly in the education sector, noting that a motivated workforce was essential to achieving academic excellence.
“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 governor was quoted as saying.
The government also pledged to maintain dialogue with relevant stakeholders in order to address emerging challenges and ensure that the state’s tertiary institutions remained centres of academic excellence.
It expressed the hope that the agreement would help reduce recurring industrial disputes and create a more stable environment for teaching, learning and research.
Speaking on behalf of the unions, the ASUU chapter of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, reportedly commended the governor for approving the implementation of the FGN-ASUU agreement in the state-owned universities.
The latest agreement is expected to contribute to efforts toward resolving the issues that led to the ongoing industrial action by workers in the institutions.
COMMENTS