The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and its counterparts in polytechnics and colleges of education will receive N34 billion in arrears of Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustments in the education sector, which will take effect in 2019.
With effect from 2019, the Federal Government has announced that it will pay around N34 billion in minimum wage consequential adjustments to education sector workers.
According to NAN, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, stated that the move was aimed at resolving the sector’s persistent crisis.
On Tuesday in Abuja, Ngige told reporters about the long-running protest by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and others.
Universities would receive N23.5 billion, polytechnics N6 billion, and colleges of education N4 billion, totaling N34 billion, according to Ngige.
While providing an update on the current strike, the minister stated that during the most recent tripartite meeting of the government and university-based unions, committees were formed.
He claimed they had been given a fortnight to submit their report and that they were still working on it, with committee reports due by the end of the week.
“Those committees are doing their jobs. The one on the National Information Technology Development Agency is putting three platforms to the test: the government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, ASUU’s University Transparency Accountability Solution, and non-teaching staff’s Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System.
“On Thursday, they began the testing. The National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission has released their revision circulars. The unions have copies as well, in case responsibility or hazard allowances have not been correctly recorded.”
As the government accelerates efforts to streamline pay through the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, Ngige assured that wage modifications are likely.
He urged ASUU and other unions to call off their strike so that academic activity at public universities could resume.
