A’Ibom : Varsity workers down tool over half salary payment

 

Activities at Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpandem in Mkpat Enin local council were Tuesday brought to a standstill following protests by staff of the university.

It was gathered that the protest was organised by the unions to express their grievances over what they claimed was illegal deduction of their salaries and nonpayment of staff peculiarity allowances.

It was observed that the staff numbering over one hundred blocked the main entrance and other access road into the institution’s main campus.

They carried placards with various inscriptions such as; ‘pay us our peculiarity allowances’, ‘we are tired of half salaries’, ‘why treat us like beggars,’ amongst others.

But the vice chancellor of the university, Professor Eno Ibanga  blamed the protest on a faction of the union. He said the union leaders were due to meet with the state head of service on Wednesday.

“I came to the office this morning and saw the gate locked. According to our law, before you down tools, you have to tell the chief executive, which in this case is the university management on what your grievances are. But they did not. 

“The union leaders are involved, but when I accosted them, they tried to deny it. All the unions in the university have factions. It is the dissidents that are leading the protest except NASU whose chairman and secretary is involved,” Ibanga said.

The VC attributed the protest to disagreement over a new minimum wage table for staff of the university.

“The genesis of this protest is that the union went to government for negotiations on the minimum wage. Government approved the minimum wage table and gave it to me.”

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