The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of staff unions at Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions has appealed to Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for immediate implementation of the National Minimum Wage for workers in the state’s higher education sector.
They emphasized that these workers have been unfairly excluded from the wage structure that benefits core civil servants.
The committee, which includes the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), expressed their growing frustration over the ongoing neglect of tertiary institution staff in the application of the 2024 National Minimum Wage and associated salary adjustments.
In a letter to the Governor, the JAC pointed out that while civil servants in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are receiving the minimum wage, employees at institutions such as Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, have been left out, despite the approval of budgetary allocations for 2025.
The committee raised concerns about the financial strain and hardship this exclusion has caused their members, many of whom are struggling to cope with the rising cost of living.
Additionally, JAC pointed out that arrears from the 2019 Minimum Wage have yet to be paid, and wage award payments remain incomplete.
The unions expressed dissatisfaction with the state government’s lack of response to these issues, calling it unfair and unacceptable.
They noted that previous meetings with the Governor’s representatives, including a communique issued in February 2025, have not led to any tangible resolution, further increasing their frustration.
The committee is also demanding the prompt release of withheld subventions dating back to January 2017, full implementation of the 2025 budgetary allocations, and the settlement of unpaid pensions and gratuities for retired staff.
They have warned that failure to address these demands within 14 days will lead to industrial action that could disrupt academic activities at the state’s tertiary institutions.
The unions emphasized that their struggle is not just about wages, but about justice, fairness, and the dignity of labor.
