Taraba: Tertiary Institutions Workers Launch 2-Week Warning Strike

• Workers in Taraba State-owned tertiary institutions have begun a two-week warning strike.
• The Joint Action Committee of Tertiary Institutions (JACTI) declared the strike after over four months of failed dialogue with the state government.
• Key demands include the implementation of CATA/CONTA/EAA and resolution of various salary deductions and non-payments.
• The union issued a 14-day ultimatum over a month ago, which the government did not meet.
• JACTI warns of an indefinite strike if demands are not met after the warning period, in line with labor laws.

The committee also highlighted a severe lack of career progression, noting the non-implementation of yearly increments and step movements for over a decade.

Workers across Taraba State's government-owned tertiary institutions, united under the Joint Action Committee of Tertiary Institutions in Taraba State (JACTI), have commenced a two-week warning strike. This significant industrial action, declared by JACTI Chairman Misa N. Gaji and Secretary Abdulkarim Z. Dangana following a crucial meeting held in Jalingo on Thursday, aims to compel the Taraba State government to address a series of long-standing demands. The decision to initiate the strike was made after a 14-day ultimatum, previously issued by the union to the state government, elapsed over a month ago without any substantive response or resolution.

JACTI, representing five distinct tertiary institutions within Taraba State, emphasized that this strike became the only viable option after more than four months of sustained dialogue with the state government failed to yield positive results. The committee views the government's inaction as a deliberate attempt to frustrate their efforts and impose undue hardship on its members. This development marks a critical juncture in the ongoing Taraba State government labor dispute, specifically impacting the public tertiary education sector.

The core of the JACTI strike in Taraba revolves around the government's failure to implement key agreements and rectify various financial and welfare issues. A primary demand is the full implementation of the Consolidated Academic Staff Salary Structure (CATA), the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTA), and the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) for all eligible members. Beyond these fundamental compensation structures, the union has detailed several other contentious practices that have adversely affected staff.

These include the indiscriminate deduction of staff salaries for items such as ID cards and APER forms, despite these items never being issued to the employees. Furthermore, staff have experienced deductions for a Health Insurance Scheme without being formally enrolled, indicating a lack of transparency and benefit delivery. The committee also highlighted a severe lack of career progression, noting the non-implementation of yearly increments and step movements for over a decade. Additional grievances encompass the withholding of union dues and multipurpose savings, alongside the government's failure to disburse the N70,000 transport relief package designated for public servants. These accumulated issues underscore the deep-seated nature of the Taraba State tertiary education labor dispute.

The Joint Action Committee has explicitly stated its interpretation of the Taraba State government's continued silence as a deliberate strategy to undermine their collective efforts and inflict hardship upon its members. This perception of governmental indifference has solidified the union's resolve to pursue industrial action, with the current two-week warning strike serving as a critical period for the government to engage meaningfully and address the outlined demands.

Should the Taraba State government fail to respond constructively or implement the requested changes by the conclusion of this warning strike, JACTI has made clear its intention to escalate the dispute. The committee affirmed that it would then consider the directives of its congresses to embark on an indefinite strike action, a move that would be undertaken in strict accordance with existing Nigeria public sector strike law. This potential for an indefinite shutdown of Taraba's state-owned tertiary institutions underscores the severe implications of the unresolved labor dispute and the urgent need for a resolution to prevent further disruption to the state's educational landscape.

Lawyers advising public sector employers or unions in Taraba State should monitor this strike for precedents regarding collective bargaining, employee benefits disputes, and the legal parameters of industrial action under Nigerian labor law, particularly concerning public tertiary institutions. Compliance officers should review their institutions' adherence to agreements like CATA/CONTA/EAA and ensure proper handling of staff deductions and benefits to avoid similar disputes.

Source: Original reporting via Daily Trust.