UNICROSS Striking Workers Demand Over N2bn Salary Arrears
Ndifereke BASSEY
Striking workers of the University of Cross River State have demanded payment of its N2. 3bn outstanding Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure, (CONTISS 2) salary arrears.
The striking workers comprise the institutions chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Nigerian Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, and Non Academic Staff Union, NASU.
Addressing the workers on Monday during its ongoing three day industrial action, the SSANU Chapter chairmen Mark Ayo said the outstanding CONTISS 2 arrears dates back to 2011.
He said the workers earlier ceded its salary from 2006 to 2011 amounting to over N2.2bn to allow peace to reign but since then the University community has not benefitted from the CONTISS 2 salary structure.
"We are agitating that government should make its presence felt I this institution and our salary should be paid as at when due.
"We ceded N2.5bn to the government as a result of being stakeholders in the system.
"We still have outstanding N2.3bn as outstanding arrears to UNICROSS staff and so when will we get it.
"It was in a meeting with the former deputy governor Efiok Cobham and we decided to forgo the arrears of CONTISS 2 so that government can subsequently implement it.
The arrears is N2,253,533.88k starting from 2006 to 2011", he said. He added that the salary they are being paid today was approved seven years back and the university should be a growing concern.
He further added that government, governing councils and management has failed has failed the University community and so that's why they are protesting.
He also decried the encroachment into the university land, saying people are presently building private houses inside the institution. Also speaking, Eta Vincent, the NAAT chairman in the institution, said the federal government approved 25 and 35 percent consequential adjustment and unfortunately UNICROSS workers are not enjoying it.
A cording to him, it is unfortunate that the workers who keep the system going are being relegated to the background.
