Against the backdrop of a 21-day ultimatum issued few days ago by the Academic Staff Unions of Polythecnics (ASUP) and other labour unions in Osun State government-owned Polythecnics and Colleges of Education, the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday, implored the workers to show more understanding and reason along the line of addressing their demands.
While appreciating their perseverance and sacrifice, considering the current financial condition of Osun, the government in a press statement authorised by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa implored “the Coalition of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in the state tertiary institutions to reason with the state government and handle the current financial situation with care and understanding.”
The statement reads in part: “Like other workers in the state civil service, the government appreciates and commended the workers in the tertiary institutions for their sacrifices in the financial turbulence that nearly crippled the state finances. We equally note their support and calmness in the current financial quagmire.”
“It is doubtless that the present administration is very committed to welfare of the workers in the state and it has demonstrated it with series of welfare packages for the workers. The government wishes to state that the payment of modulated salary is heart- aching and saddening as recently stated by Governor Rauf Aregbesola.”
“Not until the effect of the immediate past Federal Government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) induced economic recession began to take its tolls on the state, the Aregbesola’s administration never wished for any workers not to enjoy his or her full salary and other entitlement.
“We recalled that it is the current administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola that implemented the CONTISS salary structure for the academic staff in the state-owned tertiary institutions and it has increased the subventions to the institution. We appeal to the workers in the state tertiary institutions to please bear with the government for the time being. The trying time is getting over gradually.
It will be recalled that members of ASUP, COAESU and other workers unions in Osun owned institutions had about about three days ago forwarded a letter to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, giving him a 21-day ultimatum to urgently address the current payment of modulated salaries and also honour previous agreement with the bodies.
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