Academic and non-academic workers of the Abia State University (ABSU) yesterday staged a protest against the failure of the school to pay their six months’ salaries and other entitlements.
The protesters vowed to continue protests until the state government, which owns the institution, settles them.
The Chairman of the ABSU branch of the Academic Staff Union Dr. Victor Nkemdirim, said they have been going through hardship because of their unpaid entitlements.
According to him, children of the workers have been sent away from school over unpaid fees.
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“We have run out of patience, waiting for the administration to do something about it; the future of our children should not be gambled with. We barely feed since the emergence of the COVID-19 lockdown,” he said.
Nkedirim demanded payment of their salary arrears from July 2009 – December 2010) totaling N902, 161,550.82.
The ASUU chief also asked the school to pay their cooperative welfare money totalling N201,000,000), as well as their Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).
ASUU decried non-payment of gratuities, implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage effective from April 2019 and interests on seven and a half per cent contributory pension scheme
The protesters also demanded six months of unremitted union dues checkoffs.
“Despite the enormity of the sacrifices made by academic staff, it is unfortunate that none of them received salaries during this period, whereas virtually all state universities have paid their lecturers from April to July. Ours that never deemed it necessary to distribute palliatives to workers also starved more than 60 per cent of the workforce of their April salary,” he said.
Nkedirim said he could not guarantee the state government and students that lecturers would return to classrooms when the government decides to reopen universities.
The Federal Government shut down schools in March following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.
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