The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic (SSANIP), College of Health Technology Calabar chapters, have called on Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State to return the CONPCASS/CONTEDISS salary structure to the staff of the college.
The two unions made the call separately by their leaders, ASUP chairman, Comrade Bright Ewona and SSANIP, chairman, Comrade Effiong Archibong.
According to Comrade Bright Ewona, “The sudden suspension of CONPCASS/CONTEDISS salary structure of the College of Health Technology Calabar staff is not acceptable.”
Lamenting the ordeal of his members who are currently on strike and are owed November salary, Comrade Ewona disclosed that his institution had suffered being sidelined for five years during the implementation of the salary scale in 2013.
According to him, “The salary scale is the legitimate entitlement of the College Staff as a mono-technic training at National and Higher National levels being accredited and regulated by the Technical Board for Education since 1994.
“The College has been mobilising candidates for NYSC since 1994 till date (December 2020). The structure was implemented by National Salaries Income and Wages Commission in 2011 and domesticated in 2013.”
The ASUP leader listed other institutions that have been enjoying the salary structure to include College of Education Awi, Akamkpa, Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH), Information Technology Management (ITM), which started benefiting since 2013, lamenting that the College of Health Technology was not paid until September 2018 and suspended a year later in 2019 without any reason.
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“After several communication spanning over one year asking for what is due to us, effecting the reversal but we have not gotten any response, the workers went on strike November 30, 2020,” he explained.
On his part, the chairman of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic, Comrade Archibong berated the Cross River State Government for removing CONPCASS/CONTEDISS salary structure from the institution.
According to him, “It is very sad that we find ourselves in this situation. The Government has no moral justification to stop the salary of members of the College. This salary we are talking about has been worked for.”
He described the removal as “undemocratic, unjustifiable and inhumane”, pointing out that there was no institution where such for is done and insisted that the removal of the salary structure was the laws.
“The rule says you must pay them for at least three months before you implement the no work, no pay rule. This issue must not go on like this. The way forward is for the Government to pay their salary, all we are asking for is restoration of our salary structure dropped for no reason, no meeting or whatever means was used to engage us. Our members are suffering”, Archibong maintained.
He lamented that some of the union members were indebted to the banks, and urged the government to do what is right by paying since other institution in the state were enjoining this structure.
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