The Joint Action Committee (JAC) Academic and Non Academic Staff Unions, in Bauchi State Tertiary institutions, on Friday, declared a 14-day warning strike effective from 19th July, 2022, in order to draw the attention of the government to the legitimate demands of their members.
In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and the Secretary General of JAC, Abdulkadir Mohammed and Ibrahim Bala Abdallah, respectively,on Friday and made available to newsmen.
The JAC is demanding that all its members with outstanding salaries should be paid immediately, just as it called for immediate resumption of promotion implementation and annual increment which were abruptly stopped without any official communication since the inception of the Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir-led PDP government
It further held strong objection to the untimely imposition of its staff into the proposed Contributory Pension Scheme, a venture it said was being avoided by some Federal institutions due to untold hardships caused on workers.
It, however, stated that if it becomes necessary, “we need to be engaged at all levels for necessary inputs for betterment and security of our members’ rights” .
JAC also called for the implementation of the consequential adjustments, stressing that with the expiration of its earlier ultimatum on the 30th of June, 2022, JAC has been watchful to witness any remarkable positive change.
It lamented that, instead, the June 2022 salary came with additional casualties.
Though JAC applauded the attempt of the Government to start looking into the issue of promotions, it declared that, “We are watching with keen interest and hoping that other entitlements that go with it are also included, such as the annual increments”.
The Chairman while reading the statement stated that, “It is with a deep sense of responsibility, trust and burden bestowed on us by our respective congresses that we convened this meeting”.
The journey so far has been so long. Forces and life challenges have been so unimaginably unpredictable. JAC, in its cause of seeking for justice, has interacted with the office of the Head of Civil Service, the Accountant General, the Commissioner of Education, Council Chairmen, and various stakeholders in the State.
We appreciate their numerous audiences and genuine attempts to address our perennial and seriously disturbing problems. Equally of note is the laudable effort of His Excellency, Sen. Abdulkadir Bala Mohammed, Executive Governor of Bauchi State, in trying to clean and have a robust payroll payment system for the State.
JAC has equally written to the Government, letters, containing details of its problems/demands/anomalies and consequences but without tangible result
Therefore, on 30th May, 2022, JAC finally wrote a letter to His Excellency Sen. Abdulkadir Bala Mohammed, Executive Governor of Bauchi State, urging him to intervene in our plight. In our letter to His Excellency, we issued a one-month ultimatum for the Government to address these demands.
Based on these and some other issues mentioned above, JAC held a meeting and resolved to convey this information to the Government for possible positive development.
