NAN-H-65
Strike
Pankshin (Plateau), Dec. 8, 2016 (NAN) The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Federal College of Education (FCE), Pankshin, Plateau, on Thursday commenced a three-day warning strike over salary deductions.
The NASU’s Chairman, Mr Jerry Dimlong, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Pankshin.
Dimlong told NAN that, “What angered us most is that these deductions were done in order to pay our colleagues, the Academic Staff – College of Education Academic Staff Union- (COEASU), their Excess Work Load of N7,500.’’
“That alone is a criminal act and misappropriation of funds. We are not benefiting, yet the management deemed it expedient to pay COEASU. That, we will not take.
“There is a circular from the Ministry of Education which advised the management to pay that Excess Work Load from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) but the authority did not and only chose to inflict NASU members,’’ he alleged.
Dimlong said the union urged the school authority to return the monies without further delay, adding that there was a circular on how they should go about paying that Excess Work Load to COEASU.
“After this warning strike, on Monday, we shall give the Management 14 days within which to refund our deducted funds of N225 million as they claimed or we shall do something drastic,’’ he said.
When contacted, the College’s Spokesman, Mr Istifanus Kyakmut, said the matter would soon be addressed.
“It is very unfortunate that NASU declared a 3-day warning strike because of something that has been explained to the union with a clear promise that it shall be addressed very soon,’’ he said.
Kyakmut appealed to the union to call off the warning strike and return to work since the management would not fail them on its promise. (NAN)
TYC/AOM/AJA
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(Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Adeleye Ajayi)