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From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Striking workers of the University of Cross River (UNICROSS) have demanded payment of its N2. 3 billion outstanding Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure, CONTISS 2, salary arrears.
The striking workers comprised the UNICROSS chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Nigerian Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU).
Addressing the workers during its ongoing three day industrial action, the SSANU Chapter chairman Mark Ayo, said the outstanding CONTISS 2 arrears dates back to 2011. He said the workers earlier ceded its salary from 2006 to 2011 amounting to over N2.2 billion to allow peace to reign but since then till date, the university community has not benefitted from the CONTISS 2 salary structure.
“We are agitating that the government should make its presence felt in this institution and our salary should be paid as and when due.
“We ceded N2.5 billion to the government as a result of being stakeholders in the system.
“We still have outstanding N2.3 billion as outstanding arrears to UNICROSS staff, so we are asking when will we get it?
“It was in a meeting with the former deputy governor, Efiok Cobham, and we decided to forgo the arrears of CONTISS 2 so that the government can subsequently implement it. “The outstanding arrears is N2,253,533.88, starting from 2006 to 2011,” he said.
He said the salary they were being paid today was approved seven years ago and the university should be a growing concern. He said the reason they were protesting was because the state government, governing council and management had failed the university community.
He also decried the encroachment into the university land, saying people are presently building private houses inside the institution.
Also speaking, Eta Vincent, the NAAT chairman, in the institution, said the Federal Government approved 25 and 35 per cent consequential adjustment but unfortunately UNICROSS workers are not enjoying it.
He added that the workers who keep the system going are being relegated to the background.
The three day strike is in its second day and and with the exception of academic activities, other services have been crippled.
The striking workers shut down the administrative block, medical centre, stores and the generator house of the institution.
