The Ondo State Government and unions representing workers in the state-owned universities have reached an agreement on the implementation of the new wage structure, ending a lingering dispute over salary adjustments, allowances and other related issues.
The agreement was reached after a series of meetings between the state government and the leadership of 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).
Announcing the development on Monday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the agreement followed meetings between Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the university-based unions.
Under the agreement, the government approved the full domestication of the Federal Government-ASUU agreement on the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure for academic staff of the state-owned universities.
The implementation, however, will take into account the peculiarities of Ondo State, while outstanding matters relating to salaries, allowances and workers’ welfare are to be comprehensively addressed under the resolution.
Aiyedatiwa described education as a priority of his administration and assured the unions that his government would continue to engage stakeholders to maintain industrial harmony in the state’s tertiary institutions.
The governor said, “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.”
He added that the approval was intended to enable the state-owned universities to compete favourably with institutions elsewhere and ensure that academic and non-academic workers enjoyed improved conditions, while the unions pledged to support academic stability and productivity.